The class, style and value of New Zealand pinot noir is undeniable. We’re no longer just a sauvignon blanc superpower, our pinots also punch above their weight and the world is thirsty for it. Our judges have found the heavyweight champions...

Now that we’re up to our eyebags in woolly jumpers and gumboots and have our crockpots ticking over 24/7, there simply is no better way to give your tonsils some warmth at the end of the day than by indulging in a goblet of great pinot noir.

It’ll energise your taste buds and inject refreshment and silkosity (new word) into your mood, and that hit of exotic, cherry-driven deliciousness, savoury, earthy undertones and hints of rhubarb, redcurrant and black tea will wake up the most pooped of palates.

The first records of pinot being planted in New Zealand point to 1889 by the Marist brothers at The Mission in Hawke’s Bay, however it’s rumoured that it could actually have been in the 1870s by the French ex- gold digger Jean Désiré Feraud in Central Otago.

Today, pinot noir accounts for 6.7 percent of our total wine production according to the 2024 NZ Winegrowers Report and we exported more than 1.5 million cases (that’s around 8.5 million litres) last year. According to winesearcher.com, the world’s largest online wine platform, pinot noir now accounts for 32.4 percent of all New Zealand-specific online wine searches. Our pinot producers are a tribe with incredible capacity to surprise, delight and innovate. They’re good buggers, as emphasised by global wine writer and TV personality Oz Clarke at the 2003 Pinot Noir Conference in Wellington, “No mean-spirited bastard ever made a decent pinot noir”.

So we felt it was high time to check on the health of our pindustry and 123 producers answered the call. At the end of judging we were wowed by the quality and standard across the board and across the different wine regions of New Zealand, each expressing their own signature styles. It was heartswelling to see that 87 percent of the entries achieved medal status, with 46 percent being awarded a silver or gold.

The southern climes claimed the big wins, however, with Central Otago, Marlborough and Waitaki dominating the rankings and some producers featuring multiple times — Misty Cove, Clos Ostler, Mt Difficulty, Spy Valley and Folding Hill take a bow. So here they are, for your sipping pleasure — enjoy!

TOP OF THE TASTING – Three Miners Warden’s Court Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022 ($42.00) – Gold Medal

Deeply stylish and restrained, this Alexandra- grown pinot has real x-factor. Boasting cherry, dark berry, vanilla and redcurrant complexity, layers of spiced rhubarb and an elegantly structured, rich, generously proportioned finish, it was immediately impressive to our judges. Youthful, soft and generous in a cool climate package, each glass was practically unputdownable, and it’s a lovely, lovely wine. threeminers.com

Misty Cove Landmark Marlborough Pinot Noir 2024 ($29.00) – Gold Medal

A very deep and enticingly youthful style with pure aromatics of dark berry compote, spiced plum and black cherry intensity. Dark, brooding and deliciously balanced, it’s hard not to be wowed by its forest floor impressions, its energy and its complexity and approachability. mistycovewines.com

Clos Ostler Caroline's Waitaki Pinot Noir 2021 ($120.00) – Gold Medal

Our judges were almost unanimous in saying this was a very serious wine. Deliciously dusty, wildly earthy aromatics lead to dark plum, cherry, cranberry and vanilla notes, which dominate the palate. They’re laced together with tobacco, dried herbs and a textural line that’s lush and plush. A generous wine with great complexity. closostler.com

Mt Difficulty Ghost Town Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023 ($60.00) – Gold Medal

A deeply dark, glossy, yet youthful style in the glass with brooding berries and black cherries on the nose and palate. A bolder, exotically spiced style laced with red and black fruit, smoky complexity, succulent, juicy textures and dry, weighty tannins, which elongate the finish. It’s mouthfillingly savoury, complex and darn sensational. mtdifficulty.nz

Mora Kolo Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2019 ($115.00) – Gold Medal

Maturing beautifully, this wine roars with exotic scents of ripe red fruits, spiced rhubarb, smoked cherry and sweet baking spices on the nose, all of which osmose across to the palate and reveal nicely integrated oak, fine tannins and flesh out a long, persistent finish. Indulgently lovely. mora.co.nz

Vavasour Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023 ($30.00) – Gold Medal

Our judges were immediately impressed by the seductively smoky oak tones and rich layers of red cherries, redcurrant, raspberry and rhubarb. Deliciously drinkable, juicy and stacked with character, this wine boasts finely tuned, chalky tannins, toasty oak notes and marathon-like length of flavour. vavasour.com

Spy Valley F Block Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 ($45.00) – Gold Medal

Such an attractively earthy style with deliciously dusty notes on the nose that quickly reveal hedgerow fruits, brambles and river rocks minerality. In the mouth it’s a modern, sultry, savoury style with leafy, forest floor layers, fresh cherry complexity and bursts of blackberry adding to its impressively long and textural finish. spyvalleywine.co.nz

Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2023 ($46.00) – Gold Medal

Classic Central Otago swagger here, with rich, dark cherry and Black Doris plum plushness, subtle scents of dried thyme along with smoky, softly charry oak. The mouthfeel is fresh, polished, bright and energetically fruity, the tannins are dense yet finely structured, adding more ‘mmm’ to its smooth finish. mtdifficulty.nz

Chard Farm Hawkesburn Vineyard Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2022 ($92.00) – Gold Medal

Huge brightness, vibrancy and energy abound in this wine, which is giving buckets of fresh redcurrant, red cherry, and ripe raspberry, cedar, Christmas cake spices and hedgerow herbs. Darker fruits are unveiled on the palate and are stitched together with fine, sandy tannins and add complexity and concentration to its lengthy finish. chardfarm.co.nz

Folding Hill Orchard Block Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022 ($70.00) – Gold Medal

Everything about this pinot noir screams lush, spicy sensations. Roaring with rosemary, seductively smoky oak, ripe blueberry, dried cherry, cranberry and delicately savoury, gamey tones, it also boasts tannins that are fine-grained and they add texture to its refreshing finish.foldinghill.co.nz

Wairau River Marlborough Reserve Pinot Noir 2023 ($40.00) – Gold Medal

If you can wrest your nose from its vibrantly violet-soaked, spicy, red-fruit stacked scents you’ll enjoy its savoury, mushroom-dusted mouthfeel and an unveiling of berry-centric, cranberry, raspberry, plum and rhubarb refreshment alongside forest floor characters. The tannins are sinewy, stretchy and soft. wairauriverwines.com

Misty Cove Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir 2024 ($25.00) – Gold Medal + Best Buy

A powerful wine for one so young. Ultra-pretty and packed with plump cherry, berries and baking spices on the nose and palate lead the way to layers of liquorice, dark, savoury layers, loveheart lollies, black tea and revealing slight salinity on the finish. The tannins are deliciously chewy and accentuate its length of flavour. mistycovewines.com

Folding Hill Ballasalla Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023 ($35.00) – Gold Medal

Powerfully perfumed with redcurrant, raspberry, rhubarb crumble and smoked cherry topping, this example brings that aromatic energy racing across the palate and slides smoothly toward a long, suede-like finish. A lighter style licked with tobacco, it’s terrific! foldinghill.co.nz

Valli Bendigo Pinot Noir 2023 ($85.00) – Gold Medal

Pinot noir on steroids, this is one explosively flavoursome example. With exotic aromas of rooibos tea, rhubarb, sous bois and earthy, dried thyme tease the nose while the palate reveals concentrated blackcurrant, dark cherry and moody, menthol complexity. Deliciously different, elegantly structured with impressive length of flavour. valliwine.com

Spy Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023 ($32.00) – Gold Medal

With pronounced vanilla, cherry, Black Doris plum and Belgian biscuit spices on the nose, this youthful wine is already showing depth, delicious structure and tantalising textures, which keep the flavour buoyant for the longest time. Seriously savoury and elegantly poised. spyvalleywine.co.nz

Clos Ostler Caroline's Waitaki Pinot Noir 2020 ($120.00) – Gold Medal

Waitaki might be one of the harshest places in the world to grow grapes, but boy does it turn out some gently juicy, delicately textured, fruit-focused pinot noir. With fresh cranberry, cherry and vanilla cloaked in earthy, brick dust and baking spices to add complexity and fine tannins to inject longevity to the finish, it’s impressive. closostler.com

Roaring Meg Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023 ($29.00) – Gold Medal

A bright, vibrant, intensely youthful red roaring (excuse the pun) with blackcurrant, plum, blueberry and black cherry complexity on the nose and palate and finishes with charm and lushness. Elegant, refreshing and spice-soaked, this wine is often on special in supermarkets, which makes it an incredible value-for-money example. Widely available.

*Best Buy status is given to sub-$25 wines achieving Gold Medal awards.

SILVER WINNERS