New Zealand Pinot Noir Report 2025

Intense and complex aromatics with layered florals, blue fruits, a hint of herbs, juniper, anise and milk chocolate. Super-young and tight, this starts sweet and juicy but finishes firm, the palate dense and chewy with some real depth to explore. A good amount of powdery tannins, nicely woven in. This is harmonious, with linear gracefulness and very good length.

A very subtle wine, richly perfumed with red fruits, violets, rosehip, sweet hay and exotic spices. Layered and compact with a very fine, filigree structure. The mineral-rich, textural palate somehow manages to be both compact and ethereal. A very light hand here, producing a wine of presence and energy. No hurry.

Starts slow but is worth the wait. Complex aromatics, with dark plums, black cherry, waxy notes, dried rose petal, wild thyme, peaty earth; not the easiest to tease out the wine's individual components. A mouthfilling, compact and very textural palate with abundant, ripe tannins. Pretty tightly wound now but the fruit concentration and super-length speak of good things to come.

Very ethereal nose; a waft of tart cherry and wild strawberry, another of delicate cinnamon and rose petals, then another with savoury forest floor, mushroom and herb notes. The palate has lovely flow, all finesse and restraint but with deceptive build. Tannins are slightly chewy but very fine and integrated, and it’s very long. An absolute baby, and there’s not much of this due to the frosty spring, so snap it up if you can.

True to its name, this is deliciously plush and intense, with lifted dark plum and cherry fruit, orange blossom, spicy anise and a rich earthiness. Plenty of firm tannin and savoury depth to the fine, textural palate. Very seamless, with nothing heavy or forced. Good freshness, very long.

A consistently impressive wine. Dark chocolate, earth, waxy rosehip, layered red and black fruits, herbs and graphite lead to a tightly locked down palate. All the components are there though – complex layers, very fine tannins, a thrum of mineral acidity and a spicy, resonant finish. Finesse allied to real density, with such lightness of touch.

Highly aromatic, with an attractive nose of spicy warm red berry compote, pomegranate, cinnamon and bay leaf. The sleek, juicy palate has very fine, filigree tannins and crunchy acidity. There’s good depth to explore here, moving beyond the inviting fruit to more mineral layers. The finish is long and savoury. A very assured style.

Dark, spicy nose, layered with blueberry, damson plum, raspberry, borage, forest floor and sweet hay, plus slightly smoky cinnamon, clove and cumin. Silky and flowing, with good energy and very fine, slightly sinewy tannins. Good depth and build. Supple and savoury with a nice sense of density at its core, though it’s a very elegant rather than ‘big’ wine. Youthful, with a promising future.

A complex, beguiling nose with plenty of floral lift, strawberry, cranberry, rosehip, warm earth and exotic spices. Aromatic and inviting, the palate is silky, fresh and mineral. Very layered, with good concentration and finesse. A dry, savoury finish and good length. Lovely consistency across the palate; there’s real elegance here, too.

Intensely aromatic, with lots of red berry fruit, darker plums and cherry, laced with florals, spice and earth. The palate is very silky and elegant, with fine, silty tannins. Good structure and savoury depth offsets the dense, ripe fruit. Lovely balance. A really interesting wine that changes a lot in the glass, while remaining poised and harmonious throughout.

The nose is subtle and spicy, with slightly meaty/iodine undertones then dark cherry and damson plum, dried thyme and warm earth notes. The palate flows well, with a good core of fruit, though this isn’t a fruity wine. Dark cocoa, a silky texture, slightly chewy tannins, a good backbone and finesse, and very long. Sits so nicely in the glass, very complex and layered. Super-smart.

A wonderfully layered, savoury wine in a rich, polished style showing a touch of oak at first – though well handled. Aromas of dark, spicy fruit meld with floral notes of violets and roses, and smoky dried herbs. The palate is supple and silky, with fine, slightly sinewy tannins and again a touch of glossy oak, though there’s plenty of fruit concentration to support both. A long, dry, minerally finish. Still very youthful.

Here, renowned Chambolle-Musigny winemaker François Millet takes the reins. The 2022 is the eighth vintage of a remarkable collaboration and friendship that sees Millet fly out to Bendigo for harvest, where he is as hands-on as he is in his Burgundy winery. Subtly perfumed with dark plums, cherry, thyme, blood orange and light boronia, this is an elegant, savoury, intense wine with a dense and structured palate. Super-fine firm tannins, a deft spine of acid and a very long, spicy finish. No rush at all. Just 11 barrels made.

<p>Delicate perfume of pomegranate, redcurrant, fine herbs; very minerally. The palate is equally fine and delicate with silken texture, fine papery tannins, and again red fruits with a fine herbal thread and nice line of saline acidity. Lovely litheness and elegance, with good length. Super-delicious, a lot of subtle presence. Very small volumes for this vintage, courtesy of Jack Frost. ‘Angel Flower’ is yarrow, found in abundance throughout the biodynamically farmed Pyramid Valley vineyard – and also the name of its 0.7ha limestone-clay north-facing block.</p>

From the very smart 2023 vintage, this is a powerful and refined wine. A complex nose offers plenty to explore – including rosehip, dark bramble, olive and exotic spices – before moving on to the compact, textural palate. Very good density and finesse; the fruit flows beautifully across the palate with impressive build. Firm, savoury tannins, very long with a dry, mineral-rich finish. An absolute baby, and while perfectly drinkable now, it’d be mad not to tuck this away for future pleasure. Quartz Reef’s Royal Series come from single ferments selected from a close-planted block at the most eastern edge of its biodynamically farmed vineyard; the first vines to see the sun each day.

A bit reticent to start, then lovely red and blue fruits, spice and florals emerge, underpinned by a sense of damp earth and dried herbs; there’s a hint of reduction that adds a light flinty note too. The palate has abundant fruit, anchored by equally abundant and very fine tannins. Supple but definitely firm, with excellent freshness, with time and air it opens up with more perfume and a definite juiciness on the palate, especially by comparison to the still very compressed Tinker’s Field. Named after the great-great-great-grandmother of the present Mills family, Emma’s is an east-facing block where clay runs through the schist gravels. Biodynamic.

The nose is fairly shy, with subtle black plum, wild raspberry, pomegranate, allspice, juniper and a touch of blue florals. Very good flow and consistency across the palate with fine, powdery tannins and mineral tension. Super-long. Very youthful and taut, the structure and fruit concentration suggesting good things to come.

Richly aromatic, with dark berries, brambly berry fruit and ripe plum underpinned by spice and forest floor. Quite a dense, chewy palate – this is clearly built to age – with dark cherry and damson plum, sinewy tannins and an attractive, savoury, herbal thread. Good layers and a long finish. Needs time or air.

There’s a little bacon-fat reduction as this opens up, then a complex, spicy, dark-fruited nose, layered with cocoa powder and with a drift of florals, and quite a bit of intensity. Supple and mineral with good interplay between tannin and acidity, decent density and lovely, savoury layers to explore. Good flow across the palate, nice build and fairly long with a slightly sappy, dry finish. Tannins are a little chewy but nicely offset the richer fruit. Sits well in the glass and should repay a few years in the bottle handsomely. The organic Calvert vineyard is a familiar name with several producers sourcing fruit from this sought-after Bannockburn site, but this wine is produced by its owner, Owen Calvert, and made by Sarah Burton (ex-Brennan and Cloudy Bay).

An attractive, red-fruited nose – cranberry, pomegranate and redcurrant – with beguiling florals and graphite/smoke notes. Quite a lot to explore on both nose and palate, there are lovely layers here. The palate is fresh and finely textured: lots of vivid fruit with minerally acidity and silky tannins adding good structure. Lovely energy and vitality, from a single-vineyard block on the elevated, east-facing Viper vineyard in Parkburn, overlooking Lake Dunstan. Another great example of John Wallace’s consistently thoughtful, characterful winemaking style.

Richly fruited yet finely structured. The nose is intense and brooding, with dark cherry, chocolate, star anise, clove, oak spice and dried rose petals. The palate is smooth and ripe, with supple tannins and generous fruit – crushed dark plum, cherry, liquorice root and earth – lifted by fresh acidity. Very youthful, but with all the right components – it just needs some time to settle.

Dark cocoa, black cherry, blueberries, thyme and graphite notes are enticing and savoury. Quite velvety and rounded mid-palate texture with grippy but very fine tannins and a good acid spine too. The oak is just a little prominent at present and needs a bit more time to settle into its skin, but there is good depth and intricacy here that bodes well for the future. The 2023 vintage gave wines of real character and freshness. Always an interesting contrast to its neighbouring Block 5, the complex, deeper soils of Block 3 provide power and complexity.

Complex, subtle and elegant with a delicate structure and pervading sense of limpidity. While fragrant with red fruits, florals and spices, this is really all about texture and harmony. The savoury, earthy palate has lovely fruit concentration, which it wears with deceptive lightness. A fascinating wine that will age well.

<p>The single-vineyard Glenlee is not made every year due to the vagaries of Gibbston seasons, but 2023 was a standout year for the sub-region. A high-density, low cropping north-facing site on a band of glacial outwash and river gravels, vines are 21 years old. Waxy and pretty, with a vivid lift of florals, dried herbs and red fruit, the palate has a similarly satisfying interplay of fruit and savoury elements. Lovely creamy texture and layers of complexity and depth. Evolves very nicely in the glass, showing finesse and refinement. While it’s still a little closed, the purity of fruit and the wine’s vibrant structure make it one to watch. Organic.</p>

<p>Gorgeous nose: super-perfumed with voluminous black cherry, boysenberry, milk chocolate, lavender, graphite and earth. The palate has generous silky fruit – lots of blueberries and spice – with good concentration, mineral tension and savoury richness. There’s a bit of oak showing and slightly drying tannins at this early stage, but the fruit quality and overall balance suggest these will resolve. Good complexity and length. This unique wine undergoes its ferment away from the winery, with grapes picked into a vat directly amongst the vines in Greystone’s organic Waipara vineyard. This provides a more diverse population of yeasts compared to winery wild ferments, and the cool nights elongate the ferments. After four weeks, the grapes are pressed into used French barriques for 11 months before bottling.</p>

Quite a reductive start, needs a bit of air to get going but then there are plenty of layered, complex aromatics – black cherry, plum and bramble, subtle herb, earth forest floor and rye bread. The palate is equally layered and surprisingly elegant given the brooding density, with a tight-knit core of wild cherry, tamarillo and earth, dusty, fine tannins and a long, savoury finish.

Fragrant nose, lots of florals, Campari-like spice, savoury dark cherry and blackberry, and a distinctive earth/mineral note. Similar on the textural, layered palate, with mouthfilling dark, juicy fruit and a strong chalky/mineral thread. Quite tightly wound at present but the good concentration, well-integrated oak and length suggest plenty of time to let things unfurl. Decant in the meantime.

An attractive nose of black cherry, blackberry jam and spice, lifted with redder fruit and floral notes. The palate is supple and fruit-rich with good carry and fine, powdery tannins that give a firm, elegant frame. Lovely mid-palate flow and good build and, given the excellent year, this will certainly benefit from further time in bottle. An equal blend of fruit from Peregrine’s Bendigo and Pisa vineyards. Established in 1998, the family-owned estate’s striking Gibbston winery emulates the shape of a falcon’s wing. Organic.

A restrained nose but there is a lot going on here nonetheless. Prophet’s Rock’s wines are never showy, taking their time to unfurl in the glass, and equally they reward patience in the bottle. Black cherry, wild raspberry, damson, orange peel, clove and oak spice, lots of iodine and earth; there’s plenty of fruit intensity, but this is most definitely not a fruity wine. Dry and savoury with tight tannins and plenty of presence on a surprisingly delicate framework. Great length. Olearia, named for a native flowering shrub, is made in the same manner as the Home Vineyard but is sourced just around the corner from a parcel of vines at the top of the steep and aptly named Rocky Point vineyard, whose schist slopes have a spectacular view across Lake Dunstan.

Creamy blackberry, flashes of red berry fruit and baking spices, a touch of graphite and lavender. Quite a tight palate with underlying juicy fruit that slides between firm, fine-grained tannins. Very good build and energy with nice drive to a long finish. Really only just starting to come out of its shell, so there's no hurry here. Rippon describes this as 'the voice of the farm', as it is drawn from all the mature vines on the land, with an average age of 30 years.

The higher proportion of Abel clone used – almost 50% for this vintage – adds an exotic spice dimension to the aromas and flavours. Lovely layers of damson, black cherry, redcurrant, blueberry, star anise and Christmas spices, earth and sweet hay. Juicy mid-palate and firm, persistent but very fine tannins drive the long finish. A smart wine from a great year.

Only made in outstanding Gibbston vintages – and 2022 was such a year. Beautifully perfumed, it’s a seductive expression with lifted red fruits, abundant florals and subtle spice. The supple, silken palate has a filigree structure, its grace belies a surprising amount of persistence and power. A truly lovely wine that captures Gibbston’s quiet power and finesse. Organically farmed. From the original Two Paddocks vineyard in Gibbston planted to Pinot Noir in 1994 – then just 2ha, now expanded to 4.6ha.

Gibbston is Valli’s original vineyard, producing wines of perfumed, fine-boned elegance and longevity. Intensely red-fruited and spicy nose with wild thyme, rose petals and hints of darker boysenberry and milk chocolate. The palate is still a little closed but there’s a savoury depth that hints at good things to come – this is a bit of a sleeper. Tight, very fine tannins; displays a mineral acid line to a long finish. Very graceful.

Needs a bit of air to open up its invitingly aromatic nose, rich in dark cherry, rosehip, dried herbs and forest floor. The palate is quite dense and plushly fruited with glossy oak but there is plenty of powdery tannin and bright acidity to bring freshness. Long, quite tight with a dry finish. Polished and well balanced, very pleasurable now but should settle in happily for medium-term cellaring.

Brightly aromatic, with crushed wild raspberry, black cherry and plenty of floral, spice and herb notes. Very enticing. Elegant palate with ripe red berry compote. Flowing and silky, with a slightly sappy twist and nicely judged acidity and tannin. Good length. A smartly made wine with plenty of juicy immediate charm but the depth and balance to reward further time in bottle.