Akitu A1 Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020 $65 
Translated, Akitu means the summit, the apex or the highest point in te reo Māori. Andrew Donaldson called his wine that because at 380 metres above sea level, Akitu was right up there, nudging against the alps, growing in the southernmost winemaking region on earth. Andrew’s grandad bought a house near Lake Wanaka in Central Otago back in 1959, when it was still a remote outpost, never imagining one day it’d become one of the world’s greatest pinot noir regions. And that’s all Andrew and his team make, pinot noir. Some wines literally grip you around the shoulders and shake you into the realisation that, yes, this is what utterly excellent pinot noir tastes like. I was wowed by the A1’s seductive sandalwood and spice aromas, musky, fragrant wild cherry and berry and rosehip notes from the second I poured it into the glass. It’s luxurious, comforting, and yet stimulates with every sip. Serve with wild venison, black pudding, parsnip & cherry relish. Or chips. Because anything will taste amazing with this wine.
