Meet our Winemaker,
Paul Martung
How would you describe your winemaking style?
Working the land properly is the most important rule to obtain fruits of optimum quality: Nature doesn’t lie. The terroir speaks above all and gives the wine flavors and character. Every parcel has a different nature and will ultimately reveal itself when well looked after.
I would say that my winemaking is consequently a philosophy of respect and recommends a very delicate and precise human intervention. For instance, I use locally grown yeast as often as possible, as I don’t like to change any aromatics of the wine. I don’t filter when possible and leave everything in the bottle.
I have many options and technics to add complexity and personality to the wines. Carbonic maceration, skin contact, cold suck or extended time on skin are part of my daily winemaking toolbox. I also like to play with the barrel fermentation to give texture.All these techniques come to play to make a wine that will last and age well.
Being from Bordeaux, it has always been paramount in my winemaking philosophy.
Which wines and wineries inspire you?
My time at Smith Haut Lafitte keeps on inspiring me. Learning all that it takes, all the efforts involved to make the best wine possible has had a crucial impact on me. The benefit of these lessons were incredible.
Working with Will Rikard Bell at Rikard Wines has given me the opportunity to make wines with a radical hands-off approach that keeps on inspiring me to this day. Trust your palate not numbers. At his contact, I got to taste wines and varieties from all over the world that enlightened my understanding of the wine world.
The wine that I will remember for a long time was a Petrus 1973. How can a 40-year-old wine can be so fresh and aromatic, with still loads of tannins and such a vivid color?
What do New Zealand wines represent for you?
I feel that New Zealand wines are rather underrated which is odd because they have so many assets: they offer a large range of high-quality varieties and styles. They have come such a long way in such a short time. It’s very impressive!
I am a big fan of their Pinot Noir – especially the ones from Martinborough for their meatiness and dark cacao side. The New Zealand white aromatics are mind-blowing; they pack such a unique intensity and vibrance that you can find nowhere else. So, I will always go for a nice crispy Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough as well as a Riesling from Central Otago.
The sparkling wines are also starting to develop and we are looking forward to producing some in a near future… We have so many opportunities to catch here and I have to say that I am quite proud with what we are achieving here at Nuala Wines!