New Zealand: Precision, purity, power & poise
While Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir may be New Zealand’s signature varieties, the country’s wine scene is far more diverse. Whether red, white or something in between, find below 15 top-scoring wines worth discovering.
New Zealand has built its reputation on wines defined by clarity, balance and purity. From the savoury Pinot Noirs of Wairarapa and Central Otago to the lively Sauvignon Blancs of Marlborough, precision and character run through every glass.
At Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2025, the hallmark shone brightly across a wide range of varieties. When awarding top medals, judges looked for typicity and regional identity – and New Zealand delivered in abundance.
Sauvignon Blanc remains the country’s calling card for whites, and Pinot Noir for reds. Yet with near-perfect growing conditions and increasingly refined winemaking, other varieties are also excelling – and often presenting exceptional value.
Scroll down to discover 15 top-scoring wines from New Zealand
At the 2025 competition, elegant Pinot Noirs, vibrant Sauvignon Blancs, silky Chardonnays and refined Syrahs all stood out, underpinning the country’s breadth of talent and the influence of its diverse climates and soils. Whether red, white or something in between, New Zealand’s award-winning wines continue to set the standard for purity and poise.
See this year’s DWWA 2025 results and discover the world’s best wines at awards.decanter.com
Best in Show
Craggy Range, Pinot Noir, Martinborough, Wairarapa 2024
Best in Show, 97 points
£26.95-£32.50 All About Wine, Corking Wines, Strictly Wine, Wine Republic
Of the six Pinot Noirs from New Zealand to feature in our Top 50 selections since 2018, this is the third to come from Wairarapa’s Martinborough (the other three, unsurprisingly, have been Central Otago wines). This is an uncompromisingly dark wine that plays to New Zealand’s strengths in terms of purity and vivacity of fruit: raspberry, cherry and plum come streaming from the glass, and the fine meshing of fruit and oak adds to its lustre and appeal. It’s both long and broad, but not in any way clumsy, and the fruit flavours (raspberry to the fore again) are hypnotic. Svelte tannins are barely palpable, so there’s no textural barrier to entry. Alcohol 13.5%
Auckland
Mudbrick Vineyard, Velvet, Waiheke Island 2022
Gold, 96 points
A commanding presence, with youth and potential. Violets, dark berries, plums and blackcurrants nestle into the graphite tannins. Lifted cherry acidity with a lengthy coffee finish. Alc 14.8%
Central Otago
McArthur Ridge, Southern Tor Pinot Noir, Alexandra Basin 2023
Platinum, 97 points
Layers of crushed raspberry, plum, cherry, dried herbs, vanilla and baking spice. Stately and plush, with juicy acidity and firm but balanced tannins laying a foundation for ageing. Alc 14%
Te Kano, Northburn Pinot Noir 2022
Gold, 96 points
£32.80 Davy’s
A melange of black cherries, plums, violets and dried herbs set in a frame of graphite tannins and silky structure, with a disarming spice note to end. Alc 13%
Hawke’s Bay
Church Road, 1 Single Vineyard Redstone Syrah, Bridge Pa Triangle 2021
Gold, 95 points
Blackberry and mulberry jam with pink peppercorn and dried kalamata olive. Bright and poised with a sheen of plush tannin and a delicate acid line. Alc 13.5%
Marlborough
Rapaura Springs, Rohe Rapaura Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Gold, 96 points
£19.50 Waitrose
A passion fruit, lime flower, angelica and basil fragrance wafts liberally over the nose and sinks into the steely, mineral palate. Long and mouthwatering. Alc 13.5%
Babich, Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Value Gold, 95 points
£13.50-£15.29 All About Wine, Sainsbury’s, Tesco
White peach, nettle, guava and lychee perfume with an undercurrent of fresh herbs. Assertive and persistent with a backbone of vibrant lemon acidity. Alc 13%
Delta Estate, Hatters Hill Chardonnay 2022
Gold, 95 points
£22.50 Hennings
Peach and pineapple fruit with a lick of chervil energy. Weighty on the palate with a buttery, satin texture and a slick acid line. Long and nutty. Alc 13%
Jackson Estate, Stich Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Gold, 95 points
Kiwi juice, passion fruit, lime and mango flavours are offset by a glistening sea spray freshness and savoury line of samphire and green capsicum. Deliciously crunchy. Alc 13%
Lake Chalice, The Falcon Sauvignon Blanc, Dillons Point 2024
Value Gold, 95 points
£14.99 Hallgarten Wines
Stylish white nectarine, passion fruit and orange blossom enriched by a saline, savoury concentration and an alluring herbal focus. Fresh, citrussy and long. Alc 13.5%
Marisco Vineyards, Craft Series The Pioneer Chardonnay 2023
Gold, 95 points
Stone fruit, quince and apple aromas intermingle with toasty vanilla and cedar oak. Weighty and broad with citrus acidity and a nutty finish. Alc 14%
Saint Clair Family Estate, Vicar’s Choice Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Value Gold, 95 points
POA £ Hallgarten Wines
Lively greengage, plum and white blossom aromas with hints of vanilla cream. Fleshy and lush, kept in line by taut acidity and a lemon peel finish. Alc 13%
Stoneleigh, Rapaura Series Chardonnay 2023
Gold, 95 points
Full of ripe yellow apple, peach and melon, supported by a slick, satiny texture and pristine oak definition. Flinty and linear. Alc 13%
Villa Maria, Private Bin Riesling 2024
Value Gold, 95 points
£11-£14.14 Booths, Ocado, Three Pillars, Waitrose
Bright apple, lime blossom and fresh dandelion aromas bloom over delightfully spindly acidity and a citrus drive that propels towards a mineral finish. Varietally spot-on. Alc 11.5%
Tohu, Pinot Noir, Awatere Valley 2022
Gold, 95 points
£19.95-£21.95 Booths, Love Wine, Ocado, Old Chapel Cellars, The Dorset Wine Co
Compelling notes of red cherry, raspberry, plum and clove with an intriguing, savoury nuance of chicory and radicchio to balance. Tense, compact and tightly wound. Alc 13%
Search all DWWA 2025 award-winning wines
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