Best New Zealand Pinot Noir under £20 – 12 to try
New Zealand has built a firm reputation for producing world class Pinot Noir. These great value picks, chosen by Decanter’s team and experts, may well become your favourite everyday drinking pours.
New Zealand might once have been the land where Sauvignon Blanc reigned supreme, but Pinot Noir now stands proudly alongside the white flagship grape as the country’s leading red variety.
Explore the selection below and discover the revolution which, in the past ten years, has rescued New Zealand from red wine obscurity and placed it among the leading producers of one of the world’s fussiest, but most admired, grapes.
Scroll down for tasting notes and scores of 12 great value New Zealand Pinot Noir to try
A quiet revolution
New Zealand Pinot Noir carved its place on the world stage in a relative short period, due to a serendipitous combination of factors.
The first step was awareness of the country’s potential to produce world class Pinot. Winemakers and consumers, once focused exclusively on Sauvignon Blanc, realised there was more to explore.
This in turn attracted a vibrant community of young, risk-taking producers, keen to experiment with the different terroirs, clones and winemaking approaches. Many of them focused on low intervention and sustainable practices, consolidating an important Kiwi trend.
As existing vineyard plantings matured, the resulting fruit they yielded started to produce wines of greater complexity and longevity, giving winemakers more confidence in the quality and identity of their Pinot Noirs and their ability to rival international counterparts.
Cool climate hotspot
Pinot Noir is mostly grown in New Zealand’s southern regions – Wairarapa, Marlborough, Nelson, North Canterbury and Central Otago.
These areas benefit from a cool climate, high diurnal temperature variations and intense UV exposure, ensuring a long and balanced ripening season.
Central Otago has indeed been lauded as a ‘new Burgundy’, favoured by experts, sommeliers and sustainable wine fans for the elegance and expressiveness of its Pinots. The growing conditions in Central Otago are not dissimilar to those of Burgundy and Willamette Valley, Oregon.
Some benchmark examples of outstanding New Zealand Pinot Noir, such as those produced by Felton Road and Rippon, do command higher prices.
However there’s also outstanding value New Zealand Pinot Noir to be found, as the country produces wines of consistent quality across a variety of price points.
The diversity of microclimates and terroirs in New Zealand results in individual and expressive wines, but there is a common thread to them all: excellent fruit purity, fine yet firm structure, textural presence and a moreish spiciness.
Food pairings – elegantly versatile
The laidback poise and vibrancy of New Zealand Pinots makes them ideal food companions.
Flavour complexity, texture and delicious savouriness mean they can easily handle red meat and hearty stews. On the other hand, the fruit-forwardness and gentle, but refreshing, acidity will balance the richness of oily fish, the earthiness of roast chicken or the smokiness of grilled vegetables.
Lighter examples will benefit from being slightly chilled. Make space in your fridge – New Zealand Pinot may well become your new everyday drinking red of choice.
Value New Zealand Pinot Noir – 12 to try:
Wines shown in score order
Related content:
Get to know Central Otago Pinot Noir: Good, better, best
Autumn wine under £25: 20 wines to try
Urlar, Pinot Noir, Gladstone, Wairarapa, New Zealand, 2018
93
Winemaker Jannine Rickards has quite the CV: from assistant winemaker at Ata Rangi, with stints at Cloudy Bay, Julicher and a spell in the Adelaide Hills, she now runs the ship at Urlar and has her own brand too, Huntress, the wines of which are well worth seeking out. This Urlar Pinot Noir boasts enticing, dark, smoky cherry aromas and a lovely, almost saline note to the long palate, along with fine tension, freshness and good tannins. Another great organic wine from Wairarapa.
2018
UrlarGladstone
Eradus, Pinot Noir, Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2019
92
Buffeted by cool ocean winds above the Awatere River, the Eradus Breloft Vineyard is a textbook cool climate site. This fresh and juicy Pinot is light-bodied, with ripe, silky tannins and bright berry aromas – raspberry, strawberry and mulberry – that leap out of the glass. Attractive raspberry and black cherry fruit is supported by gentle oaking (nine months in French oak) producing a plush and pleasurable wine.
2019
Eradus
Nga Waka, Pinot Noir, Martinborough, Wairarapa, New Zealand, 2016
91
This has a wonderful nose of ripe red cherries, crushed rose petals and liquorice spice. It’s an ample, concentrated wine with a core of dark fruits, a savoury truffle edge and spicy sides. The texture is smooth and silky, juicy with a refreshing and long finish.
2016
Nga WakaMartinborough
Earth's End, Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand, 2019
91
While M&S's 2020 Bardolino (£10) is a good-value full-flavoured but medium-bodied red, this organic hands-off Pinot from Mount Edward Winery offers more structure and interest for the price – as well as giving you a step-by-step guide to the Ka Mate Mãori haka! Pure, mineral and vibrant with musky cherry conserve flavours. In store only.
2019
Earth's End
Marisco, The King's Wrath Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2017
91
An energetic and moreish Pinot Noir with typical forest floor notes alongside red cherry, plum and smokey oak flavours. The tannins are soft and smooth and give way to a core of juicy and refreshing acidity on the mid palate. This has focus and drive and is a great-value pick.
2017
Marisco
Escarpment, Noir, Martinborough, Wairarapa, New Zealand, 2018
91
Juicy, fruit-driven, light on its feet - just what you expect in a New Zealand Pinot. This Martinborough wine shows bright cherry and raspberry fruit and a delicious herby/black pepper backbone which add texture and bite. Perfect for roasts turkey and game birds.
2018
EscarpmentMartinborough
Villa Maria, Reserve Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2019
90
A blend of fruit from four sites, including Villa's prized Taylor's Pass and Seddon vineyards in the cool Awatere Valley. Aromas of smoky red cherry lead to a high-toned, mineral palate of cherry liqueur that has a brisk seam of acidity running through, and integrated oak spice notes from 14 months in barrel, 35% new.
2019
Villa Maria
Akarua, Rua Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand, 2019
90
From Akarua’s vineyards in Bannockburn and nearby Cromwell Basin, it’s an honest expression of the locality, and reflects Akarua’s ‘fruit bomb’ house style both texturally (silken) and in flavour profile. Light, fresh, supple, appealing Pinot Noir with dark cherry, red-fleshed plum, raspberry and delicate spices. Deliciously accessible, charming, and offers great value.
2019
Akarua
Pinot Vigilante, Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand, 2019
89
Made for Aldi by Rockburn, this is an overt fruit-forward style of Pinot, packed with vanilla, cherryade, strawberry laces and even some cola notes. Balancing out that sweetness, however, is a fresh seam of acidity that prevents it from being cloying. A real crowd pleaser, available online only from November – as is the Jean Gadion Sancerre rouge, another good Pinot pick.
2019
Pinot Vigilante
Mission Estate Winery, Barrique Reserve, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2018
89
Light and youthful, with notes of sweet cherry, strawberry and a touch of earth. Well made, with silky texture.
2018
Mission Estate Winery
Tesco, Finest Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2020
88
Made for Tesco by Indevin, this is made from grapes coming from the Bankhouse vineyard in Marlborough, which is in fact the largest vineyard in New Zealand. Despite the sheer scale, this is a well-made, textbook New World Pinot Noir which promises intense black cherry, red cherry and sweet maraschino cherry on the nose. The palate has a green, freshly cut grass note underneath the ripe fruit, finishing dry.
2020
Tesco
Forrest, The Doctors' Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2019
87
Dr John Forrest has been a pioneer in developing lower alcohol wines in New Zealand. It's particularly hard to make work with reds, but his Pinot is fresh and engaging, with tons of sappy berry fruit and hints of woodsmoke.
2019
Forrest
