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NOBILO – Waiting for Sauvignon Blanc
By Andrew Jones
Nobilo is the second largest wine company in New Zealand. It was founded in 1943 by Nikola Nobilo, a Croatian of Italian descent from the island of Korcula. In fact several
members of the Nobilo family still survive on the island and have been tending vineyards there for some 300 years. Nikola planted his first small New Zealand
vineyard at Huapai, just to the northwest of Auckland on the North Island, and went on to inspire a family-driven operation that developed into the leading exporter of New Zealand wines.
Nobilo winery at Huapai
Today Nobilo encompasses 3 main labels; the House of Nobilo, Selaks and Drylands and is undergoing a further period of growth following its acquisition by the major
Australian wine company, BRL Hardy. Nobilo possesses two wineries, the original one at Huapai and a second at Marlborough in the north of the South Island. A third is
planned at Hawkes Bay on the east coast of the North Island and will be opened in 2005.
The Marlborough winery is the nerve centre of a most exciting expansion scheme. In
particular the construction of its new vineyard at Rarangi (The Sun Chief) is a sight to behold. It is a major feat of engineering, with 600 hectares (1500 acres) being planted
with the aid of lasers to ensure perfect alignment and spacing of the 180,000 new wooden posts, which are being sunk along 142 kilometers (89 miles) of rows. On one
side it nestles against the sea and on the other is protected by the hills. The House of Nobilo has also acquired land for another major new vineyard for Sauvignon Blanc and
Pinot Noir in the same region. It is situated about 13 miles south of Blenheim in the Awatere Valley and is part of the Nobilo response to the market demand for more of
their Sauvignon Blanc than the company can supply. Export manager Tim Fogarty admits that their wine is not just on allocation, but they are having to tell major new
customers they will have to wait for quite some time.
Clearly, under the leadership of Australian-born head winemaker and general manager
Darryl Woolley, their Marlborough operation is full of exciting potential and this substantial expansion will permit their sales and marketing team to set new and
ambitious targets in the years to come. In wine terms the Marlborough region is a modern sensation but Darryl reminds wine folk that it is not just a 20-year-old wonder
as some journalists suggest. For Marlborough saw its first commercial vineyard planted by David Herd and Charles Empson in 1873 and it was quickly followed by 3
others, although most of the early production was of sweet wines. What happened exactly one hundred years later was that Montana, New Zealand's largest wine
producer, in a search of a healthy grape growing environment on the South Island, planted Müller-Thürgau and Cabernet Sauvignon vines, before 3 years later, planting
the first Sauvignon Blanc there. The success of that varietal from the 1979 vintage was to inspire other producers to follow suit: the first steps had been taken to gaining
Marlborough its deserved reputation as the most successful of all Sauvignon Blanc regions on Earth.
This period was coincidental with a dramatic downturn in the worldwide dairy industry,
which caused grave problems for the New Zealand economy. At that point the ingenuity of some of the country's agricultural experts played a part, by converting
surplus stainless steel, temperature-controlled equipment for wine production. The lead was quickly followed by many other countries.
Nobilo has achieved widespread international success with its medium-dry White Cloud label. It is a blend of 'predominately Müller-Thürgau, Chenin Blanc and Muscat,'
that is slightly drier than many medium-dry wines. It is a fresh, aromatic, fruity white with a crisp palate. The Nobilo Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is a classic example of
the varietal. It is a regular award winner and demonstrates the enticing gooseberry nose that is so indicative of the region, and offers a delightful balance of herbaceous
characters combined with fruit, whilst buzzing with the vitality and finesse that says Marlborough. Nobilo has also attracted widespread popularity with the Chardonnay
varietal, especially with its Poverty Bay label, a lively, fruit-forward, well-integrated wine that makes tasty drinking at a very early stage. The Nobilo Fall Harvest Chardonnay
has particularly attractive texture and medium body weight. It has more specific citrus characteristics.
The Nobilo Group additionally owns the Selaks brand, similarly of Croatian origin,
founded in 1934, and also the Drylands Marlborough range. The latter, dating from 1980, is one of the second stage Marlborough pioneers. Selaks markets both
Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay but also produces a real curiosity in its Marlborough Gewürztraminer-Riesling Ice Wine. This particular wine is made by using an ultra
-modern technique. Grapes are picket at optimal maturity and pressed to produce juice which is cold settled then racked to chiller tanks for freeze concentrating. The
temperature is reduced to 40° F, which causes the water content in the juice to form into ice. The remaining concentrated juice is then separated and this is fermented in a
stainless steel vat and bottled at an early age to obtain the best balance of grape sugar and acidity. The result is a sweet golden wine with a fragrant aroma and a rich, crisp palate.
The Drylands label offers a distinctive Fumé Barrique which is a fine blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon that has been aged in French and American oak and given some bottle age.
A dynamic future beckons for the Nobilo Group and thankfully an ever-increasing supply of their outstanding Sauvignon Blanc.
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Last updated on April 30, 2008