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AkaruaMarlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007Jacqueline Kemp is one of a growing group within the viticultural world:the female winemaker. Before you all shout ‘come, come’ and ‘nonsense’from the back benches, it has taken a long time in this male-dominatedfield for the girls to grab the steering wheel and drive the winemaking bus.Akarua, with its female winemaker and viticulturist (in the form of GillianWilson) are certainly showing how it can be done. And really, when 75% ofyour vineyard is planted in that most feminine of varieties, the seductivesiren Pinot Noir, who better to put it through its paces?Like many winemakers, though, being singled out is not Jacqueline’sstyle, and she credits ‘superb mentors’ and ‘great winemaking teams’ for hersuccess. Jacqueline’s experience has been drawn from both the New Worldand the Old, with vintages undertaken from Canada to Hawke’s Bay in theNew World, and, naturellement, in Burgundy for some of that old school,Old World traditional winemaking.Like so many of the newer breed of winemakers, she believes that greatwine is made in the vineyard, and that a winemaker’s role is merely toshepherd the grapes through the various stages of the production process.While this shows an appealing modesty (there is a bit more to handlingthat temperamental Pinot grape than letting it go through the motions), thishands-off winemaking philosophy is gaining much traction and, judging byAkarua’s exceptional and early success in the Pinot stakes, proving to bemost successful.AkaruaGullies Central Otago Pinot Noir 2006was $35 now$29.90 10184BUY A CASE OF 12 FOR ONLY $28.90 A BOTTLE10191 Akarua Unoaked Central Otago Chardonnay 2007 $19.90Jacqueline Kemp: Winemaker, Akarua94/100 BOB CAMPBELLThis is the Akarua Pinot Noir you drink while you’rewaiting for your collection of their Cadence Pinotto blossom in the cellar. At under thirty notes, thisis spankingly good value. Deliberately heroing thefruit, Ms Kemp has left the smoky cherry and richplum flavours to dominate the proceedings, with theslight earthy, mushroomy notes playing a delicioussupporting role. The key to Pinot Noir is balance,and this is harmonious to a T, the opulent, jammyfruit travelling sagely between the double retainingwall of acid and supple tannins. To overuse thealphabetical analogy, you finish the wine thinkingof a perfect ‘0’, a seamless, integrated circle ofdreamy delight. Well, I did anyway.was $19.90 now$16.90 10188BUY A CASE OF 12 FOR ONLY $15.90 A BOTTLEThe Akaruans have bravely broadened their portfoliowith this glistening new addition to the line-up,a Marlborough-grown, Akarua-made SauvignonBlanc. We are quietly pleased to have snaffledan allocation of this new treasure, which we nowaltruistically share with you. The usual freight trainof passionfruit and gooseberries whizzes past yournose, coupled to a few wagons heaving with dewyeyedbuttercups and freshly-cut grass. There’s asoftness and femininity to the palate that appealsgreatly, with the rich fruit hitched to a fresh acidiccomponent. Fabbo.AkaruaCentral Otago Chardonnay 2006was $25 now$22.90 10187BUY A CASE OF 12 FOR ONLY $21.90 A BOTTLE‘Consistently one of the region’s best Chardonnays,’says Michael Cooper, and we find ourselves insound agreement. Grown on the company’s ownvineyards at Bannockburn, it’s a weighty style,fortified by a 14%-plus alcohol count which, in apiece of skilful winemaking execution, lends thepalate sturdiness without the heat that high alcoholcan often impart. Barrel fermentation and ageingsupply the creamy/toasty factor, the ripe, clean fruita tropical crush of peachy, stonefruit characters.Richly rewarding.AkaruaCadence Central Otago Pinot Noir 2006was $40 now$35 10186BUY A CASE OF 12 FOR ONLY $34.00 A BOTTLE93/100 BOB CAMPBELLPreviously known simply as Akarua Pinot Noir,the team added the harmonious term to reflect therhythms and tonal change of the seasons. Rightyo.Nomenclature notwithstanding, this wine is truly anevent, a stunning performance that in a handful ofvintages has seen it climb to the top of the CentralOtago Pinot tree, watching the all-comers scrambleto take hold of the lower branches. Richly chocolateyat first glance, the rivers of ripe cassis andplums flood your palate shortly thereafter, openingup a glory box of flavours and aromas that will stunyou back in to your leather armchair, bowing beforeits sheer presence.11