kiwi Pinot stunned burgundy room
On October 20, 2017, I was invited by two of my good friends, Jean‑Luc, owner and winemaker at Domaine Alain Burget, and Cyrielle, a winemaker at Domaine Amand Rousseau, both from the infamous village of Gevrey‑Chambertin, to taste wines from New Zealand’s Central Otago. On the way over, I taught Jean‑Luc to say “Chuurr Broooo”; he didn’t quite get the pronunciation (hehehhe), just in case he needed it to start a conversation with the New Zealanders. Keep in mind, Jean‑Luc didn’t speak any English, but Cyrielle was fluent. It was a memorable day in my life that I will treasure, and I felt privileged to be invited to the event.
At that time, I was living in Nuits‑Saint‑Georges with my family. From my house, I had a beautiful view of the Côte de Nuits, where many Premier Cru and Grand Cru Pinot Noir grapes are grown. I was studying in Dijon and playing for the Nuits‑Saint‑Georges rugby team, so an invitation like this felt like the perfect overlap of my worlds, study, rugby, and wine.
The tasting took place in the town of Beaune, at the Hospices de Beaune, in a hall known as the Chambre des Rois (the king’s room). It was a special moment, I was excited to meet New Zealanders and crossed my fingers there might be a Pacific Islander present, but unfortunately there wasn’t.
All I really knew then was that Central Otago was a wine region in New Zealand and that it made great Pinot Noir. I didn’t know the history, and I didn’t know the details, but I was very curious and ready to learn.
Walking into the Hospices de Beaune, I felt special. I saw familiar faces in the hall and many French winemakers from Burgundy gathered to taste some of the top Pinot Noir wines from New Zealand. The room felt packed with leaders in the wine industry, and the energy in that space was its own kind of welcome.
For me, it was like walking into an All Blacks changing room or standing among the greats of the French rugby team. That’s the level it felt like, people at the top of their craft coming together and I was really excited to be there.
I had the privilege of meeting Nick Mills from Rippon, Steve Farquharson from Wooing Tree Vineyards, Paul Pujol from Prophet’s Rock, Alan Brady from Gibson Valley, and Nigel Greening from Felton Road, winemakers and owners from Central Otago. These were the guys I had photos with at the time, and there were many more winemakers and wine owners present in that room.
Central Otago is quite new in wine years, still babies in that sense but what I saw and tasted that day showed me the potential of where the region is heading.
My highlight of the day was a wine from Paul Pujol called Prophet’s Rock 2014. On the nose, it had an inviting freshness; on the palate, it was full of layers of flavour, with some tannin, delicately made, with a good backbone and a great balance that tasted like a local wine from Burgundy.
Later, over lunch, Jean‑Luc and Cyrielle said the same: Prophet’s Rock was the highlight for them too. They talked about its characteristics and how it felt on the palate, and they said they wouldn’t have guessed it came out of New Zealand, from Central Otago.
Meeting some of the best winemakers in Burgundy alongside the best from Central Otago made the day unforgettable. For me, it was a confirmation of my passion for wine and a confirmation that I am in the right place studying wine, playing rugby, and tasting the best wines in the world. And as you know, my favourite varietal is Pinot Noir. I can’t fully describe the day, but it felt like fulfilling a dream and feeding my passion. It was great.
To top it all off, Nick Mills from Rippon asked if I knew the Māori song “Pōkarekare Ana,” and I said YES! All the New Zealanders gathered on one side of the room to close the day with that beautiful song, and I felt like I was back in Glen Innes, Auckland.