New Zealand is making some of the world’s best Pinot Noir, and this is my roll-call of the best
Back in February I attended Pinot Noir 2025 in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was quite a special event. One of the main draws for me was to take a deep dive, tasting lots of Pinot Noir from across New Zealand. I’ve been to previous iterations of these events, going back 15 years, and this time I got the impression that some important strides forward have been made with Pinot Noir in this country. There’s less process evident, and more place. There’s a refreshing stylistic diversity on show, with winegrowers confident to break free of the mainstream style of Pinot Noir. And all the regions on show had compelling wines. You can’t say confidently that any one region is the ‘best’ for Pinot Noir. North Canterbury, Central Otago, Wairarapa and Marlborough are all making some very exciting world-class wines.
Here are my notes on the wines I scored the highest. I’ve only included one wine per producer: some producers would have had multiple entries here otherwise. I tried my best to taste all the wines on show, but time didn’t permit this, so apologies to some producers who I didn’t get round to. Also, a note on scoring. 95 for me is a very high score. I don’t often score wines 96, and I very rarely get to 97. I don’t give wines 100 points as a matter of principle, and I find the lavishing of 100 point scores from some critics is more about them promoting themselves than recognizing perfection in a wine. So the fact that there are 11 96-point scores and a trio of 97s here shows that I think New Zealand is currently making some of the world’s greatest expressions of this grape.
97
Bell Hill Single Parcel Shelf Pinot Noir 2020 Waikari, North Canterbury
This has a lovely reductive, spicy, mineral edge to the nose. The palate has some depth with sweet cherries and spice. Multidimensional, layered, profound and provocative. 97/100
Pyramid Valley Earth Smoke Pinot Noir 2022 Waikari, North Canterbury, New Zealand
Brooding spicy, smooth red fruits nose. There’s an iodine/blood edge to the taut but light cherry and berry fruits with some fine smoky, mineral detail. Very fine and ethereal. 97/100
Rippon Tinker’s Field Pinot Noir 2021 Central Otago, New Zealand
Complex aromatics: raspberries, spice and earthy notes. The palate has lovely detail, with some Campari notes and a hint of Nebbiolo character. Tonic and compressed; refreshing but structured. There’s lovely fruit but it’s also brooding and savoury. 97/100 (the picture is of the 2020, but the note is of the 2021 vintage)
96
Amisfield RKV Pinot Noir 2019 Central Otago, New Zealand
Nice grip here with good density. There’s concentration and depth here with lovely fruit. Serious. 96/100
Ata Rangi Kaitinga Pinot Noir 2021 Martinborough, New Zealand
This is a single-vineyard Pinot with all-Dijon clones, raised in foudre. It’s bright, focused, floral and expressive with sweet cherry and raspberry fruit on the nose. Supple with nice depth. Textured and very fine with a core of sweet red fruits. Power meets elegance. 96/100
Burn Cottage Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 Central Otago, New Zealand
Structured and fine with nice grip. There’s lovely intensity to the black cherry and blackberry fruit with nice grip. So nice. 96/100
Felton Road Block 3 Pinot Noir 2023 Central Otago, New Zealand
A complete Pinot Noir, with ripe cherry and berry fruits but also some sour cherry and nice acidity keeping the sweetness in check. Tangy and lively with some firm structure. Has polish, but not too much of it. Multidimensional. 96/100
Gibbston Valley School House Pinot Noir 2022 Central Otago, New Zealand
Such a flow here: sleek, sweet strawberry and cherry fruit with amazing textured and complexity. This is beautiful. 96/100
Greystone Thomas Brothers Pinot Noir 2021 Waipara, North Canterbury, New Zealand
Hillside Pinot block near Erin. 1 hectare, low yielding, limestone soils. Small berries, so they try to be light with the extraction. Thrilling floral aromatics with sweet strawberries and cherries and some liqueur-like richness. The palate is all about texture: sleek and smooth with real elegance and some nice sleek red cherry fruit, covering the structure. There’s a chalky note on the finish, too. The tannins melt into the fruit really nicely. So expressive and fine, a beautiful Waipara Pinot. 96/100
Prophet’s Rock Retrospect Pinot Noir 2013 Central Otago, New Zealand
This is a 6 barrel cuvée from the chalkiest bit of the vineyard. So fine and textural with a bit of earthy development. Good structure. Textured and complete; broad, grippy and complex. 96/100
Te Whare Ra Single Vineyard 5096 Clayvin Pinot Noir 2021 Marlborough, New Zealand
Normally they take the clone 5 Pinot from Clayvin which gives perfume and finesse. So refined, with pure, rips cherry and plum fruit, and fine-grained structure. So textural and long with amazing depth. Focused and pure with tamed power and finesse. 96/100
Terra Sancta Special Release First Vines Pinot Noir 2022 Central Otago, New Zealand
Light in colour. So textural, fresh and elegant with fine spices under the cherry and raspberry fruit. Quite thrilling. 96/100
Two Paddocks The Last Chance Alexandra Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 Central Otago, New Zealand
Supple and fine with some nice reductive notes that add interest. Textured and expressive with lovely fruit and freshness. 96/100
Wild Irishman Doctors Flat Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023 Central Otago, New Zealand
Fresh, pure and linear with lovely red cherry fruit. Supple and fine but with good structure and acidity. Quite beautiful. 96/100
95
Dry River Pinot Noir 2023 Martinborough, New Zealand
Powerful with nice texture and fresh bright cherries and berries. There some spicy detail here. This is supple and bright and despite the density, shows real elegance. 95/100
Escarpment Kupe Pinot Noir 2021 Martinborough, New Zealand
40% whole bunch, 100% Abel clone. Lean and gravelly with nice silkiness to the sweet, ripe berry and cherry fruit. This is generous, but also structured and grippy. 95/100
Oraterra Pinot Noir 2023 Martinborough, New Zealand
This is made by Wilco Lam, previously of Dry River. The grapes come from the vineyard that Escarpment used to use for Pahi. Lovely concentration. Vivid, pure and structured with nice density to the finely spiced black cherry and plum fruit. This is serious stuff, with pure fruit but also structure. 95/100
Palliser Estate Single Vineyard Hau Nui Pinot Noir 2022 Martinborough, New Zealand
Unfined, unfiltered. Nice ripeness and density with cherries, plums and a sour cherry twist, as well as fine spicy detail. Very energetic with lovely complexity and a sour cherry twist. 95/100
Corofin Pinot Noir Settlement Vineyard 2022 Marlborough, New Zealand
Lovely elegance here with red cherries and fine spices as well as some savoury notes. Bright and vivid with good structure under the sweet fruit. So stylish. 95/100
Dog Point Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019 Marlborough, New Zealand
Concentrated and bold with a core of sweet fruit, with raspberry and cherry to the fore. The palate has nice intensity with a grippy finish. So stylish. 95/100
Fromm Pinot Noir Clayvin Vineyard 2021 Marlborough, New Zealand
So pure and vivid with a nice acid line and focused raspberry and cherry fruit. Bright with nice grip, showing amazing drive and focus. 95/100
Nautilus Clay Hills Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 Marlborough, New Zealand
This is 100% and 0% whole bunch lots that are blended before barrel ageing. Taut with nice complexity, showing ripeness but also nice tension. Cherries and berries, with some spice. 95/100
Novum Pinot Noir 2023 Marlborough, New Zealand
Fresh and vivid with nice cherry and spice aromatics. The palate is supple and elegant with good structure and nice acidity. This is still youthful, with lots of potential, and it’s really expressive. 95/100
Rockferry Brookby Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 Marlborough, New Zealand
15% whole cluster, Abel and Dijon clones. Lovely complexity here, rounded but fresh, with a touch of pepper and dried herbs, and liqueur-like berry fruits. There’s a twist of sour cherry, too. Stylish, sleek and refined. 95/100
Spy Valley Envoy Johnson Pinot Noir 2021 Marlborough, New Zealand
This is 10/5 clone on 101-14 and SO4 rootstock, picked separately, and this is a barrel selection. Very fine texture with some silky cherry and raspberry fruit with some fine herb detail. Lovely weight here: the mouthfeel is fantastic. 95/100
Neudorf Home Vineyard Pinot Noir 2003 Nelson, New Zealand
Good to see this with some age. Some malty evolution with sweet cherries and raspberries as well as notes of mint and earth. Sweetly textured core of ripe rich cherry and strawberry fruit. Stylish, broad and delicious. 95/100
Domaine Williams Raillard et B Pinot Noir 2020 Waipara, North Canterbury, New Zealand
100% destemmed. Wonderful floral fruit on the nose with some firm spicy oak. This has grip but also some flesh: sleek cherry and blackberry fruit with fine spicy oak. This is good concentration, structure and purity. Serious effort. 95/100
Pegasus Bay Prima Donna Pinot Noir 2019 Waipara, North Canterbury, New Zealand
The core of this comes from the original plantings (10/5 and 2/10) but there are also some of the newer clones to add vibrancy. Concentrated and mineral, with a lovely flow of sleek, ripe cherry and plum fruit. This has breadth and purity, but also some nice savoury hints. Textured and finely spiced with lovely detail. 95/100
Bryter Later Ernest Pinot Noir 2024 Waipara, North Canterbury, New Zealand
One-third 10 d carbonic maceration, two-thirds 60% whole bunch lasagna layer style. This is textural with lovely ripe black cherries. Dense and textural with smoothness. Shows power with some softness on the palate, and notes of iodine and spice. Real interest here: such a textural style of Pinot Noir. 95/100
Fernbank Pinot Noir 2023 Waipara, North Canterbury, New Zealand
This is vibrant and focused with good acidity under the tart cherry fruit, with nice texture. Notes of redcurrant and raspberry add brightness, but it’s also quite textured with some silkiness and warmth on the mid-palate. Really good balance with enough structure, but overall quite smooth and enticing. 95/100
Atiku A1 Black Label Pinot Noir 2020 Central Otago, New Zealand
Nice structure here with lovely red cherry and raspberry fruit, as well as a hint of pepper, with nice texture and grip. Very nice. 95/100
Folding Hill Cellar Release Pinot Noir 2014 Central Otago, New Zealand
Mellow, showing lovely development. Textured with fruit but also some savoury complexity. Mellow and very fine. 95/100
Maude Mt Maude Reserve Pinot Noir 2022 Central Otago, New Zealand
65% whole bunch. Sweet cherry and raspberry fruit with notes of blood and dried herbs in the mix. Such nice detail here: expressive, pure, elegant and sweetly fruited. 95/100
Quartz Reef Royal Series Anna von Tirol Pinot Noir 2022 Central Otago, New Zealand
Lovely concentration here. Textured with nice spicy structure, some cherry and plum fruit, and some grainy detail. Very stylish: give this time. 95/100
Rockburn Seven Barrels Gibbston Pinot Noir 2023 Central Otago, New Zealand
Cherries and spice, with lovely freshness. Bright and juicy showing cherry and plum fruit with a touch of raspberry. Fresh, lively and very fine. 95/100
Te Kano Waitaki Pinot Noir 2022 Waitaki, Otago, New Zealand
Lovely fresh red cherry nose with some white pepper and floral berry fruits. Some rose petal. The palate has nice texture and some iodine notes, with silky cherry and plum fruit. Amazing elegance here, much more red fruited than black. On the cusp of herbal but still has sweet fruit. 95/100
