Forever young

2008 Mahi Sauvignon Blanc. Photo / Babiche Martens

Like Sophia Loren, many of the world's greatest wines have been recognised for their ability to age gracefully. However when it comes to our flagship variety, after a few years some are starting to seem as rough as Keith Richards, prompting questions over whether New Zealand sauvignon blancs can age, or should just be expected to live fast and die young.

The ageability of our sauvignons was a major theme of the tasting I was invited to chair at the last Marlborough Wine Weekend. Although sauvignon's lifespan is far shorter than that of a grape like riesling, there's a growing conviction that if ours are to be taken seriously, they should be looking fabulous after five or even 10 years.

This may be the case for classic examples from the Loire and Bordeaux, but in New Zealand, after a couple of years in bottle some are tasting decidedly faded as the beguiling passionfruit of their youth falls away and fragrant herbaceous notes transform into less appealing odours of canned peas and asparagus.

There's no doubt that our sauvignons excel in the vibrancy of their youth. According to my fellow panellist, veteran British wine merchant and New Zealand wine champion John Avery MW, we shouldn't be getting too hung up about age.

"To criticise the grape because it doesn't make wines that take years before they can be enjoyed is not a valid point," he stated. "The vast majority of wines are drunk early."

This is true of most wines and certainly relevant to sauvignons for everyday drinking. However, if we're to be world-beaters with the variety, our better ones should be able to take drinkers on a journey that lasts longer than an exuberant explosion on release and evolve more attractive mature characters over time.

Older examples that some of the country's top sauvignon producers have seen fit to show me over the past few years illustrate that New Zealand's sauvignon can achieve this. Five years on and the most impressive have remained fresh, their mineral notes coming to the fore, while developing a mellow richness.

That these are being brought out signals winemakers are gaining confidence in their older specimens, while screwcaps too have played their part in keeping our sauvignons sprightly.

Ageing best are the sauvignons I've also tended to rate highly in their youth - the likes of Churton, Seresin, Mahi, Blind River and Nautilus. More Audrey Hepburn than Lady Gaga, theirs are made in a more restrained style that doesn't pummel you with passionfruit or harpoon you with herbaceousness.

There's a growing number of quality-focused wineries on a quest to discover the secret behind making cellarable, sauvignon. Encouragingly, these include our largest sauvignon producer, Pernod Ricard NZ, whose Montana Icon project is scrutinising wines, vines and enlisting local and foreign experts to this end.

So far the recipe for success seems to be a combination of lower crop levels, hand-picking, gentle pressing and use of wild yeasts before the wine is left longer in tank to gain richness, and often portions fermented in oak.

A slug of semillon, as used in the longest-lived sauvignon blends of Bordeaux and embraced here by a handful of wineries, also makes for more robust wines.

Some feel this is too much of a departure from the style with which New Zealand made its name, and its sauvignons are best when young. But this seems more a matter of taste than a template the country should be following.

Sauvignons to savour

Truly tasty

Mahi The Alias Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2008 $29.90

Built to last (for at least eight years, according to Mahi's Brian Bicknell), this rich and ripe sauvignon is structured around its powerful steely citrus and flinty core and has a subtle spiciness from its fermentation in oak.
(From Liquor King.)

No rush

Nautilus Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2009 $25

Like some of the best sauvignon producers, Nautilus has only just released its latest sauvignon, which marks its 25th vintage. With delicate flavours of talc, mineral and fennel, it makes its impact though its purity and lively citrus.
(From Liquorland, Fine Wine Delivery Company, Glengarry.)

A real blinder

The Sisters Single Vineyard Awatere Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2009 $17.99

An elegant, edgy sauvignon to enjoy now that rides a wave of tangy lime and mineral over melon and bright blackcurrant leaf. The second label of Blind River, whose main sauvignon is one to cellar.
(From La Barrique, Miller & Co, Point Wines, Farro Fresh, Kumeu Cellars, Bacchus, www.blindriver.co.nz.)