Burn Cottage Moonlight Race Central Otago Pinot Noir 2014 $45 ★★★★ Way back in the early years of European settlement of Central Otago, hundreds of water races were built to direct water from the mountains down to the prospectors, and this pinot is named after one which still flows through the property. Unlike its brooding, … Read More
Pinot Noir
Behave Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014
Behave Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 $42 ★★★★ Classic aromas of baked berries, cherries and earthy, musky notes lead the way to a super-soft, almost creamy palate that’s generous and gentle. There’s a subtle dusting of spice around the edge of some sweet fruit and stretchy tannins. Nice stuff. www.odysseywines.co.nz
Rockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2013
Rockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2013 $39 ★★★★ This’ll probably sound really weird, but I love that this pinot smells like moss-covered tree trunks in the rain, lush and earthy, with a layer of black tea, cherry and baking spices. Fresh and juicy to drink, with pleasantly drying tannins, this well-crafted pinot has lovely fruit … Read More
Pinot Trail Tales…
Cloudy Bay’s winemaker Nick Lane is racing around the country hosting the Cloudy Bay Pinot and Duck Trail, a series of events designed to showcase how pinot noir and duck dishes are a match made in heaven. Today he’s at Auckland’s Sapphire Room where three of the best chefs in town are preparing duck-centric dishes … Read More
Selaks Reserve Marlborough/Central Otago Pinot Noir 2014
Selaks Reserve Marlborough/Central Otago Pinot Noir 2014 $22 ★★★½ Ruby/black in colour and rocking robust aromas of five-spice, black tea, clove and dark plum this dual-region combo works really well. The palate is sweetly fruited, bright and juicy and extremely easy to drink. Widely available. www.selaks.co.nz
Gibbston Valley Glenlee Pinot Noir 2014
Gibbston Valley Glenlee Pinot Noir 2014 $65 ★★★★¼ Sexy sweet fruit smashes its way out of the glass here. Pretty plum, berry and black cherry flavours merge with soft spices in a rich, generously juicy palate-punch. Very upfront and confident in its youth, it’ll reward another year or four. www.gibbstonvalley.com
Gibbston Valley Le Maitre Pinot Noir 2014
Gibbston Valley Le Maitre Pinot Noir 2014 $85 ★★★★★ This is such a young wine it almost seems like a crime to open it, but I’m a curious puppy and couldn’t help myself. Glossy magenta in the glass and oozing juicy cherry and plum characters, it’s the dusting of dried herb, tea leaf and truffle … Read More
Cloudy Bay Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013
Cloudy Bay Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013 $47 ★★★★ The clay-based, alluvial gravels of Marlborough’s southern valleys provide the fuel for the vines charged with producing this powerhouse pinot. It bursts with black cherry, plum, black tea and smoky spices on the nose, followed by a saucy, fruit-soaked palate and a long, lingering finish. It’s youthful, … Read More
Old North Road Pinot Noir 2013
Old North Road Pinot Noir 2013 $8.99 ★★½ It’s a local brand, from out West Auckland way, but the label doesn’t say where exactly in NZ the fruit has come from, so it’s anyone’s guess. On first sniff there are some baked berry aromas edged with leafy, herbal notes and a whiff of something spicy. … Read More
Whitecliff Pinot Noir 2014
Whitecliff Pinot Noir 2014 $8.99 ★★½ A local supermarket budget brand that’s been around for aeons, the Whitecliff pinot is actually an Australian wine. But that’s ok because let’s face it, you’re seriously up against it to make pinot noir in this country for that sort of price. It has some sweet, spicy notes on … Read More