Seresin Wine - Living off the Land

Seresin - Living off the Land

As gannets dove majestically into the turmoil of a dolphin fuelled feeding frenzy, a horde of hungry Wellingtonians sailed by, soon to arrive at Waterfall Bay and the home of Michael Seresin. The sense of anticipation was tangible, a surface upon which butter could be spread, and the site of smoke from a barbecue on shore was further fuel to the fire of thoughts about what lay ahead. And, oh my, what did await, courtesy of not just the Seresin wine portfolio, but the culinary magic of the Grove Restaurant and master of ceremonies, Michael Dearth.

First off, a glass of Moana Blanc Methode 2009 to engage the taste buds in combat, its nearly four years on lees and zero dosage leaving it smooth and steely, yet bright and fruity like a buttered slice of freshly baked fruit loaf. The canapés, a squadron of delicately cooked sea creatures, add to the rather pleasing assault on the senses; diamond shell clams, yellow fin tuna and crayfish that feel like they have leapt from the water only moments prior.

With our bouches thoroughly amused, and, as the sun threatens to dip behind a nearby hillock, it is to the table and the safety of a cockle warming fire, and a glass of 2012 Marama Sauvignon Blanc. It bursts with fruit and green pyrazine hints that are wrapped in a leesy complexity, thanks to its time in barrel, and shows a soft restraint on the palate. This is old world meets new, with fruit ripeness that many a Gallic vigneron would happily give up his Gauloise to experiment with. The wine sits handsomely next to the sumptuous, yet, delicate starter of Agnolotti with groper, scampi and NZ Perigord truffles. The poor chap opposite me is unfortunately seafood intolerant and I pity his bad luck.

Next is an umami microcosm in a bowl - an underwater Ramen ecosystem of sea flora and fauna, complete with wooden spoon to trawl for hidden treasure. A glass of 2014 Reserve Chardonnay accompanies the expedition, through a bed of mushroom noodles, which reveals more clams and an intriguing spherical entity that pops in the mouth rather like a miniature poached egg. Further bounty sits on a table next to us in the form of magnums of Seresin's back catalogue, and a bottle of 2011 Reserve Chardonnay is wilfully plundered. Further developed than the 14, this shows oxidative pineapple fruit with a hint of nuttiness coming to the fore.

And then the precession of Pinots begins, with a 2012 "Noa" leading a gamey, wild rabbit terrine into the room. With faux fois gras pork fat hidden within, this is a tongue twister in every sense, and the touches of sweetness bring out the gamey qualities further. The meat and wines then start an ascent in flavour and depth, as the fruits of the Barbeque are borne out. Wood-fired beef that is perfectly à pointe and served with pomme purée and persillade mushrooms, and an accompanying jus that is deep and rich, not to forget the venison meatloaf. The wines must face up to an insurmountable wall of flavours, and yet rise to the occasion effortlessly, leading with an exquisite 2010 Rachel and then reaching their apogee with the 2007 Sun and Moon. From a small parcel in the Raupo vineyard, cropped to über low yields, this wine is only made in the best vintages and still shows great structure, concentration and a savoury, silver lining.

I am lucky enough to be Sat next to Rosie, the assistant wine maker, who explains how Seresin have been experimenting with whole bunch fermentation for this year, as a result of her recent harvest in Oregon, where whole-bunch is widely employed as a means of increasing complexity in their Pinots. Typically the Seresin Pinots have a long post-ferment maceration, which doesn't bode well with whole bunches in the mix, so it will be interesting to see whether this will be part of the style in the future. I try to get my head around this new found knowledge, but must confess that my analytical skills are now somewhat subdued; I have become a rather willing passenger to the event, happy to let the wine and food guide me.

And then it's death by chocolate and salted porcini caramel, a few moments in heaven and then resurrection by a final wine, the 2009 Chiaroscuro, a rather atypical blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling. It is yet more proof for me of the excitement of co-fermented blends and their provision of something new.

Clive Dougall, the winemaker, then delivers a few words on the more fruit expressive, minimal intervention direction of Seresin and its wines, and the importance of Wellington, their local market. Then it's a well-deserved round of applause for the chefs (crickey, were there really only two!), a short journey back to the plane, and, before we know it, a typically bumpy descent back into Wellington

As a Wellingtonian, the whole event is a great wake up call to the notion of just how well positioned we are as a new Zealand wine hub, and that Marlborough, with all its wine, food and scenic wonders, is after all, only thirty minutes away.