New Zealand Reds

Cameron Douglas MS 94 points. "Many classic attributes greet the nose for this Otago Pinot Noir with a bouquet of ripe and richness, there’s no mistaking the variety with dark cherry skin and black currant, a savoury dried herb quality and layers of barrel spices and some toasty wood smoke qualities. Ripe, firm, dry and complex as the wine touches the palate, flavours of wood smoke and black currant, thyme, rosemary and wild dried herbs. Tannins deliver a firm coarse chalky mouthfeel while acidity layers in back bone and squeeze. A wine of complexity and charm, a wine also of youth needing cellar time to harmonise and integrate...

20 years ago we named this special Pinot Noir “Crimson” in support of Project Crimson, the charitable trust working to replace and preserve native red-flowering pōhutukawa and rātā trees throughout New Zealand. The nose is a blend of perfumed notes of rose petal, grilled raspberry and wild strawberry. Savoury aromas of star anise and meat marrow combine with fresh thyme and rosemary. The palate is wonderfully delicate and complete.

"A beautiful nose of sliced strawberries, crushed cherries, violets, grated nutmeg and a hint of white pepper. Some hibiscus, too. Supremely vibrant and perfumed with fine tannins that run the length of the medium-bodied palate. Textural. Ground spice and fresh fruit are intertwined, providing wonderful depth and complexity. So long as well. Seamless balance. Superb. Sustainable. Drink or hold. Screw cap." – James Suckling, Jamessuckling.com, Score: 98   "The 2020 Pinot Noir reminds me of walking into a cathedral – that quiet, cool hush that falls as you walk through its doors. This is harmonious, supple,...

Vineyard:  Anthem Vineyard Subregion:  Gibbston Valley Region:  Central Otago Vintage:  2019 Soil Type:  Schist derived, windblown alluvial loess Viticulture:  Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand Certified (SWNZ) Growers/Manager:  Dave Henderson / Jase Thomson   Winemaker's Notes:  The incredibly picturesque Anthem Vineyard in the Gibbston Valley is proving itself. It delivers riveting floral aromatics, elegance and velveteen tannins year after year. We think it's one of the most special sites in Central and this vintage continues with its theme of serious savouriness and...

#1 Highest Scored New Zealand Syrah for 2018 vintage. Gourmet Travellet 96 points. Cameron Douglas MS 96 points, In the true expression of cool-climate Syrah, this wine exudes freshly cracked black pepper, crushed violets, red and black forest fruits and savoury smoky nuances. It has crunchy lifted acidity which carries the defined, fine-grain tannins and background of spicy, savoury oak. This wine is about fragrance and texture, which is assisted by our pioneering co-fermentation technique with a small proportion of skins as well as whole-cluster fermentation. The co-fermentation gives a white pepper spice quality to the flavour...

Vineyard:  Escaroth Vineyard Subregion:  Taylor Pass Region:  Marlborough  Vintage:  2020 Soil Type:  Low-vigour ancient clays Clone:  Dijon clones 777 and 115 Viticulture:  Dry-farmed and Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand Certified (SWNZ) Growers:  Andy and Kyna Laurie Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) Certified  Winemaker's Notes:  Escaroth Vineyard is a site that truly reflects vintage variation: this year's release simply ticks all the boxes for Pinot Noir fanatics. It has a beguiling, complex perfume that treads both red/blue fruit and an enchanting spice,...

Vineyard:  Settlement Vineyard Subregion:  Omaka Valley | Southern Valleys Region:  Marlborough  Vintage:  2020 Soil Type:  Shallow layer of wind-blown loess over low vigour clay loams. Clone:  Dijon clone 777 Viticulture:  BioGro certified organic and Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand Certified (SWNZ). Growers:  Sutherland, Healy and Beattie families  Viticulturist:  Nigel Sowman  Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) Certified Winemaker's Notes:  This is our second release of the impressive Settlement Vineyard Pinot Noir. Located in the Omaka Valley in the...

Winemaker's Notes:  This is our second 'Una Volta' Pinot Noir from Central Otago, which is rather confusing considering Una Volta means 'one time' in Italian!  The 'Una Volta' name is designated to limited release one-off parcels that we believe will make something very special. The 2020 Una Volta hails from a site with impressive pedigree: the Renaissance Vineyard on Bannockburn's Felton Road. Sophie's family friends planted, manage and own this close-planted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay site above the Kawarau River and opposite the Bannockburn sluicings in the Cromwell Basin where Sophie grew up....

winemakers comments: The Eliza Vineyard is on the edge of a picturesque terrace situated directly above the Kawarau River in Bannockburn. This single vineyard wine is made from a small 3 tonne parcel of Pinot Noir clones 777 and 115 that is its own unique block within the Eliza Vineyard. The terrace is formed predominately on alluvial schist soils, with a band of pedogenic lime at around 1 meter below the surface. This band of soil created lime is very distinct and large clumps of small schist pebbles encased in the chalky white substance can be seen in the edge of the terrace directly below the vines. The soil gives a mineral edge to both...

Winery Notes: Our signature Pinot Noir from our best sites on the Lowburn and Parkburn sub-region. Mata-Au originates from our Chard Farm vineyards formed by the Mata-Au (Clutha) river, situated in the Cromwell Basin of Lowburn & Parkburn. The presence of this ancient river bestows a unique influence on the character of our soils. Carefully chosen from the finest blocks in the Lowburn and Parkburn sub-regions, it creates perfumed wines of great elegance, minerality and structure. Sweetly perfumed with ripe cherries and violets accompanied by subtle undertones of intricate spice and earthiness. Generous red fruits integrated with chalky...

wine notes: A complex bouquet with savoury notes of dried herbs and black pepper evolving to a floral and red fruited perfume. Textural tannins fill the palate but leave plenty of room for the focus to remain with the red cherry fruit and fine acid balance on a quietly persistent finish. winemaker’s comments: The Tiger Pinot Noir is a single vineyard wine made from grapes grown in our Tiger vineyard in the Lowburn sub-region. The vineyard is on sloping land up off the valley floor and this elevated cooler position allows the vineyard to ripen slowly, building layer upon layer of flavour nuance and soft silky tannins. The wines from...

wine notes:    The wine exudes an aromatic and vibrant bouquet, showcasing notes of red cherry, pomegranate, and delicate, freshly bloomed florals. Fresh red fruit notes and herbal undertones rest on a foundation of silky tannins, evolving into a refined and enduring finish. Pronounced mineral nuances and acidity harmonize to create an invigorating and confident balance.   winemakers comments:  Viper Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from grapes grown in the Grandstand Block of the Viper Vineyard in the Parkburn area on the western side of Lake Dunstan. The vineyard takes it name from the wildflower ”Vipers Bugloss”...

Hot off the press, The 2021 Tiwha Pinot Noir has won 3 Trophies at the 27th Japan Wine Challenge!⁠ ⁠ A total of over 1,000 wines were entered and judged by a panel of leading wine professionals from Japan and abroad. The Japan Wine Challenge is Asia's oldest and most prestigious wine competition.⁠ ⁠ 3 Japan Wine Challenge Riedel awards and 26 Trophy medals were awarded. We are ecstatic to have won 3 of these Trophies for Best Red Wine, Best New World Red Wine and Best Discovery Red Wine!⁠ ⁠ Anika was also awarded the Riedel Award for the Best Red Winemaker in 2024. An absolutely huge achievement. Thank you to all the judges...

Made by the team at Rockburn. Winery Note: Our Devil’s Staircase wines are inspired by the winding road leading from Queenstown to Kingston along the shores of Lake Wakatipu. Sourced from several Central Otago vineyards, the Devil’s Staircase Pinot Noir takes the willing down into the realm of decadence and Bacchanalian delights. Here, everything is pleasure spiced up with a bit of naughty. The unrelenting Central Otago environment tortures the vines whose twisted limbs produce a wine worthy of absolution; strong and sensual with lashings of dark fruit, sinfully succulent and devilishly good. The flavours are practically immoral,...

The story of Doctor's Flat Vineyard begins in the late 1980s, in France and California, where Steve Davies first encountered great practitioners of old world winemaking, and the best of new world innovators. By 1999 Steve had settled in Central Otago, making Pinot for Akarua and on the hunt for his own land. He was looking for something in particular—a site that would offer all the conditions he had come to believe were essential for great Pinot. It was a long and thorough search, and in 2002 he found it, an elevated site on deep glacial gravels in Bannockburn. After then making wine for Carrick and supplying grapes to Valli,...

Cameron Douglas MS 96 points. Bob Campbell MW 95 points. A bright perfumed, supple expression of Marlborough pinot noir from clay hill slopes. The fruit is supported by bright florals of rose and violets with crunchy red berry fruit and dried herb notes. The palate is succulent with alluring red cherry, brown spices and silky fine boned tannins. This wine has all the makings of a long lived Marlborough pinot noir and matches perfectly with duck, red meats (particularly venison and lamb), and mushroom dishes. Comprising six different pinot noir clones from vines dating back to 1983. Vines are cropped at 5 tonnes/ha (35hl/ha), hand harvested...

James Suckling 97 points. Dense pinot noir with flavours across the ripeness spectrum from fresh herbs and rhubarb to cassis and dark berries. There is also a suggestion of violet, floral and liquorice characters. A little closed right now but with a promising future. The wine opened up as it sat in the glass. Might be worth decanting.  Drink 2021–2029   #DRYRIVER  

Bob Campbell MW 98 points...."indescribably delicious".   #DRYRIVER

Only 3986 bottles made. 5 Stars & 19/20 (95) Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Wine Reviews, June 2022  (2020 Vintage) "Deep, crimson, lighter on edge. The nose is intense and full, packed with blackberries, cherries, floral and bark fragrances alongside dark herbs and spice. Medium-full bodied, herbaceous aromas of thyme and pine lead the palate with black pepper and cardamon, unfolding cherries, blackberries and rich floral fragrance. The fruit shows a sense of purity, calmly supportive in the background with integrated acidity. Powdery tannin extraction coated the mouthfeel with a light grip and silky veil. This savoury Pinot Noir...

93 points Sam Kim "Delightfully fruited and inviting, the bouquet shows dark cherry, raspberry, thyme, toasted nut and subtle mushroom characters. The palate is equally satisfying with excellent weight and roundness, wonderfully supported by silky texture and fine-grained tannins, finishing persistent and very tasty." (4/2020) 91 points Bob Campbell MW "Supple, savoury Pinot Noir with dried herb, floral, violet, spice, cherry and raspberry flavours. An appealing wine in a medium-bodied style, with a backbone of bright acidity." (8/2020)

Michael Cooper 98 points:   "Deeply coloured, it is mouthfilling, with concentrated plummy, spicy flavours, youthful and complex, and a finely textured, lasting finish. Set for a long life, it’s well worth cellaring."  Michael Cooper    5 stars - Winestate. Winery Note: Our estate grown Pinot Noir with generous richness & flavour concentration. Layers of ripe fruit, floral and spice unfold on the palate with a delicate tannin line. Unfined and bottled on site. Over 60% of our vines are Pinot Noir and the whole reason we exist on these limestone slopes is to make great Pinot. These calcareous clay soils...

Total Production 78 cases. Organic. Sam Kim, Wine Orbit 97 points. Bob Campbell MW 96 points. James Suckling 95 points. Organic. The oak factor is dialed-up here and adds spicy, toasty aromas to the red-cherry, red-plum and blueberry aromas. It winds up and exudes such pure fruit with air. The palate has a very rich, intense and vividly defined feel with ripe red and dark-cherry flavors holding so pure at the finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Screw cap.JS. Thomas Brothers Pinot Noir grows on our highest slopes, in limestone soils which impart a beautiful chalky tannin and finesse to the wines. The vines are naturally...

97 Points Bob Campbell MW. "Flagship pinot noir only produced in outstanding vintages. From vines on the steepest and most exposed part of the Greystone vineyard. Intense, inky, firmly-structured pinot noir with dark berry, red-fleshed plum, liquorice and new leather flavours. A big wine that deserves decanting and will certainly repay cellaring." .. Organic Single Block Reserve People thought we were crazy planting on the top of a steep limestone hill in North Canterbury. We got told the yields would be too low ( they were right ), the steep access would make it difficult and expensive to work ( right again ), the wind would...

Bob Campbell MW 96 points.   Winemaker's Notes: Power and energy on the nose – prominent dark florals, oak spices and red/dark berries. Intensity and drive whilst retaining a focused mineral line. Smoke and dried herbs bring a fireside quality. Restrained density & marvellous ageing potential. Our highest Pinot Noir block was hand picked before being hand sorted. A small percentage (10%) of whole bunch was retained for tannin structure, layers and complexity of flavours. The wine stayed on skins for 28 days allowing for full yet supple tannins,before a gentle pressing to French oak barrels where the wine aged for 15...

"A complex bouquet of soil and spice, red berries and dark plum with layers of savoury spice, a light almost steely haunt reflect place and time as well as concentration from ripe fruits and use of lees and barrel. Fantastic on the palate with an abundance of finer grained tannins wovern between flavours of fruit and barrel, lees and mineral. Textures from acidity and tannins then concentration from fruit and dried herb savoury complexities."  Cameron Douglas MS 98 Points - Sam Kim 97 Points - Cameron Douglas MS 96 Points - Bob Campbell MW ★★★★★ - Michael Cooper 17 Points - Jancis Robinson.

Organic. 95 Points - Outstanding - Cameron Douglas Master Sommelier. " Complex, mineral-laden, detailed and seductive bouquet. Aromas of ripe dark red cherry, wet clay and limestone mineral and earth layers, raspberry and scents of roses and sweet air. Youthful and equally complex on the palate with firm textures of tannins and acidity contrasted by a core of ripe red berry flavours and mineral. Chalky tannins carry a limestone flavour, some wood flavours and leesy complexities begin to emerge after several minutes in glass. A delicious wine, complex and layered, needs to be cellared for some time to bring together all the qualities it...

“A delicious mineral and ripe fruit-centric wine. Fantastic sense of place and time with a lengthy finish,” 96 points, Cam Douglas MS. ★★★★★ Michael Cooper. Winery Note: Our unique take on Pinot Noir captures our place, right in the heart of North Canterbury. Our handpicked fruit is fermented in the vineyard rows where it was grown. Open to the elements and exposed to natural and wild native yeasts, the fermentation responds to the rhythm of the season to create a truly unique vintage. Hand picked and fermented outside in the vineyard rows where the fruit was grown. We use a separate destemmer, that lives in the...

Vibrant and new, complex and refined, individual with a specific personality and pinosity. Aromas and flavours of white smoke and red berry fruits, a core earthy mineral qualities, moments of milk chocolate and smoky wood tannins, mangosteen berries and plum, plenty of cherry and red apple skin suggestions as well. Fantastic mouthfeel with fine tannins woven through a lees and youthful acid texture. A delicious wine with length and appeal. Best drinking from 2025 through 2035+. 95 Points - Outstanding Cam Douglas - Master Sommelier.  

Organic. Trophy, Best Syrah, NZ Organic Wine Awards 2021. Bob Campbell MW 95 points. "More savoury than fruity, this elegant rather than blockbuster wine has flavours suggesting dried herbs, cocoa powder, white pepper, anise/spice and nutty oak. It is a complex wine with an extraordinarily lengthy finish. Impressive with a promising future."  Bob Campbell MW    

The wine Front 96 points. Organic. Morrison Vineyard is a 12 ha property with a 7.5 hectare vineyard situated on Wanaka Road in the foothills of the Lowburn and Parkburn Terraces, first planted in 1997. Vinified in a traditional fashion using open fermenters, hand plunging, natural yeasts and 14 months in French oak. Morrison vineyard grows a textural wine built around fine yet sinewy tannins and delicate fruits. This year we see the wine displaying perfumed aromatics with lovely floral notes over a solid core of both red and dark fruits. The 2019 whilst showing lovely complexity and lifted delicacy in its aromas is a wine of considerable...

WINERY NOTE: Morrison Vineyard, so complex and rewarding. Always with beautiful upfront aromatics, high tones with red to darker fruits and a delicate yet persistent structure. In 2021 we see herbal and savoury aromatics intertwined with the darker fruits, a lovely sinewy texture carried by long and fine tannins. Morrison is located in the Pisa sub region and will without question reward cellaring.  

WINERY NOTE: The 2021 Pinot Noir has a dense yet lush texture, plenty of fruit power, is concentrated yet finely balanced, all with good acidity, fine tannins and superb long finish . Vinified using open fermenters, hand plunging, natural yeasts and 11 months in 15% new French oak. Racked, blended and settled in tank for a further 6 months. Fermentation was carried out using de-stemmed fruit including the addition of 25% whole bunches.. Perfumed with lovely aromatics, there is a range of complexed darker berry fruit notes, some spice, savoury tones and dried herbs.  Organically grown, made and certified, a blend of our best vineyard...

“Intense pinot noir with a mix of fruit and savoury characters including raspberry, dark cherry, dried herb, grape stem, hedgerow and nutty oak flavours. Accessible now but with potential to gain even more complexity with bottle age. 95 Points, Five Stars.”  Bob Campbell  MW, NZ.   Organically Certified BioGro 56438 | Moutere Clay Gravels | Single Vineyard | Low Cropping | Hand Harvested | Wild Ferment | Natural Spring Malo | Barrel Matured | Unfined | Unfiltered | Vegan | Lightweight Glass Bottle | Solar Powered Winery Nelson lends itself to sophisticated, savoury Pinot Noir. Pinot for cool nights and...

Bob Campbell MW 95 points. “Dense, intense pinot noir with dark cherry, peat, malt, anise, spice and dried mushroom flavours—a complex mix of fruit and savoury elements. A deliciously accessible wine that should develop well. 95 Points, Five Stars.”   WINERY NOTE: Moutere Clay Gravels | Low Cropping | Hand Harvested | Wild Ferment | Natural Spring Malo | Barrel Matured (15% New) | Unfined | Unfiltered | Vegan The joy of Pinot Noir is its consistent evolution. Working with newer clones has changed the shape of material at hand for winemaker Todd Stevens. As these additions to the Pinot vineyards settle down, we see a...

The 2022 Eleven Barrels Parkburn Vineyard Pinot Noir is a single vineyard wine displaying the power, generosity and intensity generated by our Parkburn Vineyard site. Dark and moody, the Eleven Barrels displays notes of black cherry, thyme and ripe plum, with an expressive nose and plush tannins on the palate. With the fine balance of ripe fruit, natural acidity and mineral tension this wine truly represents the Pisa sub-region and its complex nature. Expect to see this youthful wine transform and evolve over a decade or more; please be aware a fine deposit may occur as a result of our minimal handling philosophy.   19/20 (95 pts)...

Reviews & Accolades Gold Medal - National Wine Awards of Aotearoa NZ (Oct '22) Sam Kim, Wine Orbit - 5 Stars (96/100) It's beautifully perfumed on the nose showing dark plum, violet, thyme, clove and toasted nut characters, leading to a succulent palate that's plump and flavoursome. Superbly framed by loads of polished tannins, making it structured and persistent. From the Parkburn Vineyard. At its best: 2024 to 2036. $99.00. www.rockburn.co.nz. Sept 2022. Raymond Chan Wine Reviews - 5 Stars, 19/20 pts (95 pts) Deep, ruby-red, lighter on the rim. This has a full, broody, dark-sweet-fruited bouquet penetrating aromas...

One of the (many) attractions to the field of Winemaking is that singular combination of art and science employed to craft each wine, every year. The Science is well defined, and the literature is continually being added to; the Art is not so easy to pin down. It is born of the individual winemaker and their Muse and exists in the heart; it finds its expression within the senses of the imbiber. This wine is the result of our Winemaker let loose to practice his Artistry on fruit from other sites within Central Otago.   Created from a single vineyard site high in the Dunstan foothills this Pinot Noir speaks with great eloquence of its...

Winemaker Note: Rockburn Twelve Barrels; the name says it all really. Every year we fill hundreds of French oak barrels with Pinot Noir, and every year I search for those individual barrels that most eloquently speak of site and season. We present the results of that search to you here with a wine that exhibits the attributes I enjoy most about Pinot Noir; subtlety, elegance and personality The 2022 Twelve Barrels Gibbston Vineyard Pinot Noir is a single vineyard wine displaying the elegance, power and grace generated by our Gibbston Back Road Vineyard site. Dark and concentrated, the Twelve Barrels displays...

Gold Medal  - Aotearoa Regional Wine Competition 2024 95/100 - Cameron Douglas MS  "Immediately enticing bouquet with complexity and spice, ripe red berry fruit aromas of raspberry and plums, some blackcurrant and dried herb complexities. Dry and complex on the palate with flavours, textures and a delicious mouthfeel. Judicious use of oak with some toasty spice layers, varietal and new, ripe tannins and backbone of acidity. Well made with best drinking from as early as late 2024 through 2034." - July 2024 5 Stars (95/100) - Sam Kim (Wine Orbit)  - "Seductively perfumed, the enticing bouquet shows dark plum,...