Steve Smith: Master of Wine on New Zealand Chardonnay outscoring top Burgundies in a global blind taste test
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Why did Steve Smith choose Chardonnay to challenge top Burgundies?
We've got a New Zealand v. France wine tasting, and we won. Chardonnay from Pyramid Valley and Smith & Chef were tasted alongside some top Burgundies. 24 wines over three tastings. Steve Smith, Master of Wine, is with us on this. Steve, morning to you. Morning, Mike. How are you? Very well indeed. This is very judgment of Paris 1976, isn't it?
Well, I guess it sort of happened 50 years later, but, you know, we wanted to test ourselves against the best, and so we had a shot at it, and it went well.
Why Chardonnay?
I think Chardonnay is New Zealand's great white wine, and it's obviously the greatest white grape variety in the world.
How does New Zealand’s climate give its Chardonnay a unique advantage?
And we have a climate that can deliver something really special. And for us, it was time to see where we sat in the world. And I believe Chardonnay is certainly our strength.
And so it doesn't beat so Blanc in terms of quantity, as you would well understand. Where do you reckon it goes potentially? Is it very high end and limited or does it have a more broad based appeal? How does it unfold?
I think this is a fine wine story. I think the beautiful thing about Chardonnay, while it might grow everywhere and in a lot of places and make make good wine, I think it's only in special places where it makes something truly remarkable. You know, that's what I've spent my life doing in the wine industry.
What did the blind taste test reveal about New Zealand vs. French Burgundies?
And I think we found some places now that do that. And so the future is for us definitely high end. And I think that's where New Zealand should definitely focus its attention with Chardonnay.
Now, the interesting thing for me, 58% of those tasters thought that your wines were in fact Burgundian. So one, was that a surprise? And two, is that actually good if you're not producing something with an individual profile that's uniquely us?
I think it's always good to benchmark yourself against the very best. And that's what we did. And we're not really trying to be Burgundy. And even though a lot of the tasters found it hard to tell a difference, each of those wines still has its own distinctive stamp. So, you know, I think in a world where Burgundy is becoming very expensive, harder to find. And if you're a fine wine lover in London or Hong Kong or
Is it a problem if New Zealand wines are mistaken for Burgundy?
in New York and you want to find something that's going to give you the same pleasure, sometimes it's hard to find white Burgundy that can do that. And what we're saying is, you know, maybe we deserve a seat or a place at the same table.
Yeah. So some of this top Burgundy was a couple of thousand dollars a bottle. What was your most expensive one?
Our most expensive one actually is one we haven't priced yet. So the wine that came on top for across all three tastings, in all three cities was a new wine for Smith & Scheth we call Le Gravier, which we first made in 2024. It's due to be released in May next year, and we haven't put a price on it yet. But, you know, it went up alongside some very expensive Burgundies and came out on top. So it may be a little more expensive than we thought.
And Le Gravier is exceedingly limited, though, isn't it?
Which wine topped the three‑city tasting and why is it so limited?
We only made one barrel of it this year, only 300 bottles, but the vineyard has more potential to do that. So it's not always going to be that absolutely limited. But, you know, like some of those white burgundies that are $2,000 a bottle, they might only make one barrel or two barrels a year. So
it's
not unusual in the world of fine chardonnay to have that limited volume.
What's your vibe on the industry at the moment, Steve, given the world's turning away from alcohol and we're all on GLP-1s and we're all fitness and, you know, et cetera, et cetera?
Well, we've been talking about a trend in wine for a long time, which people should drink less but drink better. And I think Now we're starting to see that happen. I don't think people are necessarily moving away from fine wine. What they're doing is being more specific and more thoughtful about what they choose. And they may be drinking a little bit less, but for us in the fine wine world, we don't see that as an issue because wine is something that's very distinctive and tells a story of place.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
Why did Steve Smith choose Chardonnay to challenge top Burgundies?
0:00–0:36
2
How does New Zealand’s climate give its Chardonnay a unique advantage?
0:36–1:17
3
What did the blind taste test reveal about New Zealand vs. French Burgundies?
1:17–2:08
4
Is it a problem if New Zealand wines are mistaken for Burgundy?
2:08–2:58
5
Which wine topped the three‑city tasting and why is it so limited?
2:58–3:54
6
How are shifting consumer habits affecting the fine‑wine industry?
3:54–4:38
7
What impact could El Niño have on New Zealand vintages this year?
4:38–5:27
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