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New World VS Old World is a common geographical classification of wine. New World refers to the countries with a shorter winegrowing history, such as the United States, Australia, New Zealand, England, Argentina, Chile and China. People used to think there were great differences in style between New World and Old World wines. For example, in the Old World, where the wine-related regulations are stricter, the wines were of more elegant and terroir-driven styles. As for the New World wines, people thought they were fruitier and oakier. In fact, their distinctions are getting less obvious over the years – quite a number of New World producers have showcased their respect for nature, making wines with minimal intervention to express the true taste of the land. The wine styles, in addition, are increasingly diverse. They can be elegant, masculine, or of any other styles you can imagine, which are always full of surprises.
As for the high-quality wineries of the New World, there are so many of them. Today we have picked a few of our favourites to share with you – some show the most iconic styles of the regions while the others have created their unique characters. Let’s get to learn about them now!
Hirsch Vineyards
When speaking of wines from the United States, what first comes to mind would probably be rich and expressive Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay from Napa Valley, California. Today, we would recommend something different: a boutique winery with very elegant, even Burgundy-like, styles – Hirsch Vineyards.
Located in the Sonoma Coast, California, Hirsch Vineyards is a single vineyard comprising over 60 distinct blocks. In the early 90s, it was not yet a winery but one of the most sought-after sources for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes in California. In 2002, the owner David Hirsch, after 22 years of growing the best grapes in the region, thought why not build a winery of his own and started to make wines. Time and their wines have proven that their love of the land and grapes not only make them great farmers but also excellent winemakers.
Their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are known to express site-specific characteristics vintage after vintage. Perched on a ridge overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Fort Ross, Hirsch Vineyards is in a remote area far from the town. It takes a 2-hour drive from the town of Sonoma to the winery. The site’s surroundings and climate are unique. Influenced by both Maritime and desert climate, the site has wet winters and dry summers, resulting in fruit and wines of unusual acidity and balance. In 2011, they began the process of converting the vineyards to biodynamic viticulture and by 2014 they became fully biodynamic. Decanter magazine has called it “at the pinnacle” of classic California Pinot Noir sites, which has “deservedly built a reputation for producing complex and age-worthy wines”. It’s definitely worth a try!
Felton Road
“I almost feel like Felton Road should need no introduction by now. If two decades of excellence isn’t enough to convince you to try these wines, what more can I say?”
– Joe Czerwinski, Managing Editor of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.
Felton Road is unquestionably an artisan, boutique winery, located in Bannockburn, Central Otago. It is one of the most well-known and acclaimed producers in New Zealand, which insists on making wines with 100% estate-grown grapes, ranked #4 in The Real Review “Top New Zealand Wineries 2020”. Owner Nigel Greening has always been the No.1 fan of Felton Road. He purchased the estate in 2000 and has focused on planting grapes according to biodynamic principles ever since. As the superstar of Felton Road, its Pinot Noir was awarded the highest honour, Five Stars, in The Great New Zealand Pinot Noir Classification and considered the best interpretation of the variety in the New World; as for the whites, Chardonnay and Riesling have also received great reviews as well, which makes Felton Road a winery not to be missed.
Its Pinot Noir is cultivated in a Burgundian style with elegance and finesse that truly reflect the distinctive characteristics of its terroir. The Pinot Noir offerings can be classified into 3 ranges: Bannockburn regional wine, Single Vineyard wine, and Single Block wine. Its Bannockburn Pinot Noir is a blend from four of their primely situated vineyards, showing exceptional consistency and is at a level way above its Bannockburn “village” designation. It is a serious wine with considerable definition and poise. The Single Vineyard range includes Calvert and Cornish Point Pinot Noir. The former has characteristic aromatic floral notes finely supported by good minerality and spice while the latter is of a slightly subtle style when young, dense on the palate with hints of dark fruit and dark petals, such as rose and violets.
The most sought-after is undoubtedly the Single Block range – Block 3 and Block 5 Pinot Noir. In Hong Kong, the stocks are so limited that it’s not easy to buy them. They show distinctive characters due to the difference in terroir but are both very expressive aromatically and literally define complexity: flowers, dried herbs, berries, different savoury notes, earthiness, spice, undergrowth, smoke, and more. It’s one of the country’s consistently best wines.
Catena Zapata
Catena Zapata is one of the top wineries in Argentina, famous for its ultra-high-altitude Malbec, Chardonnay and other wines. It is the best example of Argentine premium wines. The story of Catena is more or less the story of Argentine wine. In 1902, Catena Family sailed from Italy to Argentina and planted their first Malbec vineyard in Mendoza, which is now the most important grape variety in the country. When the third generation Nicolás Catena Zapata began running the family winery in the 1960s, he drastically modernized the winemaking techniques and pioneered the experiment on extremely high-altitude vineyards in the Andes Mountains.
To what length could you go for a perfect wine? Catena Zapata said 5,000 feet! The vineyards at high altitudes can enjoy lower temperature, larger diurnal temperature and sufficient UV and so on, resulting in pure, intense, aromatic and complex wines. In particular, their flagship and world-renowned Adrianna Vineyard, the first ‘Grand Cru’ Vineyard in South America, is located near 5,000 feet above sea level. No one thought grapes could ripen at such an extreme altitude. Yet, it ends up producing extremely soft, velvety, complex wines considered of world-class quality. Its Adrianna Vineyard River Stones Malbec 2016 is even the first-ever 100-point wine in South America by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate! It has again created history and become a legend of Argentine wine; its White Bones and White Stones Chardonnay are also some of the best whites in the country, a perfect combination of power and finesse. White Bones Chardonnay 2018 has received the perfect score from James Suckling and ranked #11 in James Suckling Top 100 Wines of 2020.
Penfolds
Wine lovers like you must be familiar with our beloved Penfolds! It’s a benchmark for Australian wines with an exceptional portfolio of reds and whites, ranging from entry level choices available in supermarkets to the world-famous Grange and RWT Shiraz!
There is a lot to explore with Penfolds, such as Yattarna Chardonnay, Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, etc. Tasting Penfolds’ wines of different ranges and memorizing their code-like wine names are the necessary steps to become a real Penfolds fan! (The Bin numbers in their wine names are cellar/storeroom numbers to store each wine)
I have attended a Penfolds tasting and tried a wide range of Penfolds’ offerings, and since then I have been impressed by the unique characters each of their wines carry. Penfolds Grange is of course at the top of the game, considered the original and most powerful expression of Penfolds multi-vineyard, multi-district blending philosophy. Its ripe and intense flavours demonstrate the signature style of South Australian Shiraz. If you think Penfolds Grange is a bit pricey for daily drinking, you may consider Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, nicknamed “Baby Grange”. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, and the components of the wine are matured in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange. Exemplifying the judicious balance of fruit and oak, Bin 389 highlights the generous mid-palate Penfolds is known for and is available at a more friendly price.
Also noteworthy is the popular RWT Bin 798 Shiraz and St Henri Shiraz. Made from fruit primarily selected for its aromatic qualities and lush texture, RWT Bin 798 Shiraz is more opulent and fleshier when compared to Grange. Moreover, the grapes are all sourced from Barossa Valley and matured only in French oak, setting the highest standard of what a great Barossa Shiraz should be. St Henri Shiraz is even more special. Unusual amongst high-quality Australian red wines, it does not rely on any new oak but is matured in old large vats, resulting in soft, earthy, mocha-like characters. Released by Penfolds in the early 1950s, it wasn’t fully understood at the time as it was so different but gained a new lease of life and popularity worldwide in the 1990s. It has undoubtedly become a trendsetter and showed the world another side of Australian Shiraz!