In the early 20th century, the Paris art scene was dominated by the elegant and sophisticated Impressionist style. Impressionist painters like Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir captured moments shaped by light and shadow on canvas. The art world was primarily focused on beautiful landscapes. Art collectors eagerly bought Impressionist works. Emerging artists imitated the Impressionist style, dreaming of success.
Dutch painter Piet Mondrian chose a different path. Unlike Impressionist painters, he did not depict nature as it was. Instead, he painted abstractions using vertical and horizontal lines and primary colors. The Gray Tree, which he presented in 1912, is a work that deconstructs an actual tree into geometric lines.
In his masterpiece Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow, natural forms are completely obscured. During the early period of Mondrian's work, many people did not understand what he presented. Questions such as "Why doesn't he paint trees like trees?" followed. Some critics belittled his works as "simple enough for a child to draw."
Despite such criticisms, Mondrian insisted, "I want to express the essence, not the appearance of nature." He believed that by penetrating the complex reality, one could express it with simple geometric forms and pure colors. Over time, his bold challenges became milestones of 20th-century abstract art. Mondrian himself left his name as one of the most influential artists in modern art history.
New Zealand's Marlborough region is among the most famous wine regions in the Southern Hemisphere. Academics have noted that the area is ideal for cultivating the Sauvignon Blanc grape variety due to its unique climate and soil.
However, at that time, general consumers had little interest in the region, regardless of the academia. Until the mid-1980s, wines from this region were virtually unknown in the international market. Initially, the first grapevines were planted rather late, in 1973.
In 1985, the evaluation turned around. When the local brand Cloudy Bay released its first wine, critics around the world went wild. Famous British wine critics praised the intense tropical fruit aroma and fresh acidity that this wine exuded.
Subsequently, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc rose to global stardom almost overnight. Suddenly, there was a grape farming boom in the region. The Marlborough vineyards, which were only 370 hectares in 1990, increased to 28,000 hectares by 2020, a 75-fold growth.
The sudden success became a double-edged sword. Numerous producers hurried to create wines similar to Cloudy Bay. Consumers, who were once captivated by the vibrant flavors, began to turn away, stating that "Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is uniform." Experts also remarked, "Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc seems to be so similar that it doesn't matter which brand wine you buy."
Matt Thomson, founder and winemaker of Blank Canvas, challenged this stereotype. He displayed such passion for wine that he even chose biochemistry, specializing in yeast, to gain a scientific understanding of winemaking. After graduating from university, he spent 25 years alternating between New Zealand and Italy, making wine. Thomson decided, "We will make wine with our own rules, free from tradition or popularity."
In 2013, he established Blank Canvas Winery with his wife, Sophie. Thomson's wife, Sophie, is a wine authority who was the first from New Zealand's South Island to earn the Master of Wine (MW) qualification, which is held by only about 300 people worldwide.
The Blank Canvas Abstract Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, crafted from the scientific background of Matt and the meticulous knowledge of Sophie, shows a distinct difference from typical Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is made from grapes harvested from limestone soil. As a result, instead of the common tropical fruit aroma, it prominently features salty minerality and Eastern herbal notes like thyme and fennel.
Fermentation and aging borrowed techniques from the Burgundy region of France. It is produced through aging in large oak barrels of 500 liters for 14 to 15 months. The annual production is only 600 to 700 cases (approximately 7,200 to 8,400 bottles). Thomson said, "We wanted to maintain the freshness typical of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc while adding complexity and depth."
These attempts have borne some fruit. While typical New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc offers instant satisfaction with intense tropical fruit-centric aromas, this wine becomes increasingly attractive over time. International wine critic Tim Atkin praised this wine as "a new horizon for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc."
This wine received the Daesang in the white wine institutional sector at the 2024 Korea Spirits Awards. The domestic importer is Shinsegae L&B.