Happy birthday

Montana Letter Series Brancott 'B' Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Photo / Babiche Martens

Wines from here will become world famous," said Montana's founding managing director, Frank Yukich, as he planted the first vines in the the uncharted viticultural territory of Marlborough. This month those prophetic words were enshrined in a monument commemorating the 30th anniversary of the first bottling of Marlborough sauvignon, a winning combination that was to shape both the destiny of the region and New Zealand's modern wine industry.

It was a bold move by Yukich to plant grapes in Marlborough at a time when the conventional wisdom was that they wouldn't ripen in the South Island. And it was one he fought to have accepted by his board when he first proposed that "Marlborough had the best conditions for producing wines in New Zealand".

Speaking poetically at the monument's unveiling, Yukich summed up the philosophy that drove his actions: "Without leaps of imagination or dreaming we lose the excitement of possibilities: dreaming after all is a form of planning. To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe."

This belief created a meeting of place and grape variety that created a unique wine style. When it first hit international markets in the 80s, it created so much interest that it's only in recent years New Zealand has really started to be able to satisfy demand for its pungently herbaceous and passionfruit-filled sauvignons.

Sauvignon blanc made up 60 per cent of last year's harvest and accounts for three quarters of our exports, which have grown from next to nothing when those first wines were planted to exceeding $900 million in 2008. It almost single-handedly drove the growth of Marlborough as a wine region, which now accounts for almost of half of the country's vineyard area.

Since those first plantings 30 years ago, sauvignon blanc has spread across the region, taking root in new sub-regions that have added different nuances to the Marlborough style. These include the southerly Awatere Valley, whose vineyard area has more than trebled in the past five years, now accounting for almost a third of the region's total area under vine.

At 78, Yukich cut a sprightly figure as he delivered words of wisdom to those at the unveiling. The same could not be said of our older sauvignons, according to Yukich. "Many of our wines do not age well. To assure its future, the industry must face this issue," he maintained.

This is something Montana has been addressing. It launched a long term project this year, focused on making sauvignons with greater longevity, with input from sauvignon experts, such as the University of Bordeaux's Denis Dubourdieu.

Sauvignon in New Zealand may have a shaky track record in making wines that mature gracefully, but Montana was still confident enough to show journalists older vintages from their Reserve and B Series dating back to 2000. Some were displaying hints of the less attractive asparagus and green bean and pea notes that can develop over time, although others - notably the 2002s - still tasted remarkably fresh.

Yukich warned that the wine industry must not rely on its past successes and strive to better its sauvignon blancs. Apt words, as while we toasted sauvignon's birthday, it's likely some less than exciting specimens were still sitting unsold in tanks following last year's challenging vintage. The country teeters on the verge of oversupply.

Despite growing supply juxtaposed with the worsening market conditions that will mean some grapes go unharvested this year, now is not the time to be cutting corners - something Marlborough's winegrowers appear to have taken on board. Yukich was spot on in his calling for continued improvement to quality, as it's this that will ensure we don't kill the goose that laid the golden egg and will be back here toasting Marlborough sauvignon's golden anniversary.

Get savvy

Montana Letter Series Brancott "B" Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc $32.95
A fitting wine with which to toast Marlborough sauvignon blanc's birthday, Montana's flagship example comes from the birthplace of the variety in the region. Montana's B is an intense and weighty wine that combines cut grass, fennel, bergamot and lime with a complex salty mineral note.

Montana Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2008 $23.95
Tight and tangy, this is another sauvignon based on Montana's Brancott vineyard with a lemony acidity that drives through its melon, gooseberry, mineral and herb-infused palate.

Montana Rail Bridge Awatere Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc $24.95
Montana's Terroir Series trio of sauvignons were launched to highlight the differences between Marlborough's sub-regions. Its Rail Bridge Sauvignon illustrates the distinctive Awatere style, with notes of tomato stalk, oregano and blackcurrant leaf wrapped around its ultra zingy citrus and mineral spine.

(All three wines available from Parnell, Newmarket, Northcross & Kensington Liquorlands; Waimauku & Manukau Super Liquors; Liquor Centre Tuakau)