New Zealand Pinot Noir: Vintage report and 40 new releases rated

Compared to Sauvignon Blanc’s stratospheric rise, New Zealand’s most-planted red variety has had a somewhat slower burn. The first Pinot Noir was planted in 1889 in Hawke’s Bay , but things didn’t really get going until 1980s pioneers such as Martinborough’s Dry River and Ata Rangi , and Central Otago’s Gibbston Valley and Rippon, lit the path. In 2023, there was 5,678ha of Pinot Noir planted (NZ Wine 2023 annual report) , representing just 6.1% of production and 2.9% of exports, but the best wines are sought-after globally. New Zealand is a long, thin string of mountainous islands surrounded by the Southern Ocean. Regions just a few hundred kilometres apart can have significantly different growing conditions due to rain shadows, prevailing winds and river systems. Scroll down for notes and scores for 40 brilliant NZ Pinot Noir recent releases [subscriber-content]What unites them is ideal viticultural conditions – relatively cool with marked diurnal shifts, clear air, high UV levels and (mostly!) dry autumns. Unlike Burgundy , there’s very little limestone – the youthful stony soils are predominantly underpinned by greywacke sandstone. The wine culture is also young; viticulturists and winemakers have matured alongside their vineyards. Refinement of sites, clones and winemaking have been the biggest drivers of style evolution. The country’s hallmark pure fruit intensity offered the temptation to build structure via extraction [during winemaking] and new oak , but the resulting bold, dark wines often lacked finesse. Now, freshness and texture are key. The wines are more interesting, with riper fruit tannins and less oak scaffolding. Whole-bunch fermentation is popular and there’s an increasing array of crunchy ‘nouveau’ and natural styles. [caption id="attachment_540139" align="alignnone" width="630"] Credit: JP Map Graphics Ltd.[/caption] [breakout] New Zealand Pinot Noir: the facts Productive vineyard area: 5,678ha Harvest volume (tonnes) 2023: 30,532 / 2022: 34,569 / 2021: 22,029 / 2020: 34,105 / 2019: 26,944 Pinot Noir as a % of total NZ production (2023): 6.1% Exports (2023): 12.22m bottles (75cl equivalent); 2.9% of total NZ exports (3.9% in 2022) Area planted, regions (north to south): Hawke’s Bay 221ha of 4,805ha; Wairarapa 517ha of 1,089ha; Marlborough 2,637ha of 29,654ha; Nelson 162ha of 1,080ha; North Canterbury 427ha of 1,464ha; Central Otago 1,658ha of 2,054ha Source: NZ Wine, 2023; Wine Export Certification Service. [/breakout] Global perspective One of the joys of New Zealand Pinot Noir is its accessibility – few wines need cellaring, though the better wines will still comfortably mature for 10 years or more. It’s increasingly common to see producers holding back wines for release – while this selection of 40 includes current releases from 2020 to 2023, other wines going back to 2016 can be found on Decanter . New Zealand’s Pinot Noir delivers good consistency and relatively high overall quality. But the flipside can be slightly uninteresting, cookie-cutter wines. The tiny volumes of many of the top wines make them hard to find. On the plus side, pricing, especially of the best bottles, makes New Zealand Pinot relatively good value in a global context. And thanks to its consistency, aided by a string of recent good vintages, there’s less risk involved for consumers. ‘The biggest challenge facing New Zealand producers,’ says Sophie Parker-Thomson MW, general manager and co-owner of Blank Canvas Wines, ‘is to drive a mindset shift in the fine wine drinkers and collectors of the world away from label bias and to have these wines considered on the same quality paradigm as Burgundy.’ [caption id="attachment_540142" align="alignnone" width="600"] Owen Calvert, Calvert. Credit: Calvert Wines.[/caption] [breakout] Decanter vintage rating: NZ Pinot Noir 2023 4/5 2022 3/5 2021 5/5 2020 5/5 2019 5/5 2018 3/5 2017 3/5 2016 4/5 [/breakout] Vintages and producers New Zealand’s varied geography can make vintage generalisations difficult. While some years – 2021, 2020 and 2019 – had more uniform quality, it’s best to check the specifics of a region, and how the individual producer fared. 2022 was more nuanced. Although outstanding in Central Otago, most other regions had a humid, unsettled summer, largely saved by drier harvest conditions. Consequently, it was a year that favoured meticulous vineyard management. The top names are likely familiar. They include Ata Rangi, Bell Hill, Burn Cottage, Dog Point, Felton Road , Gibbston Valley, Greywacke , Neudorf, Prophet’s Rock, Pyramid Valley and Quartz Reef. But this exciting category now has significant depth. So names such as Black Estate, Blank Canvas, Carrick, Calvert, Clos Henri, Doctors Flat, Grasshopper Rock, Greystone, Huntress, Novum, The Boneline and Valli, among many others, should also be on your radar. [caption id="attachment_540141" align="alignnone" width="600"] From left: Rowan Hoskins and Tim Bourne, Escarpment. Credit: Mike Heydon.[/caption] [breakout] New Zealand: Around the regions Pinot Noir is grown throughout New Zealand but seems to be happiest from inland of Hawke’s Bay on the North Island and southwards. Wairarapa (North Island): Tiny but important area with pioneering, world-class wineries; three sub-regions: Martinborough (about 60% of plantings), Gladstone and Masterton. Devigorating wind and gravelly soils create low yields and thicker skins; perfumed, structured with savoury complexity. Marlborough: A move from the stonier valley floors towards the rolling, clay-based hillsides of the Southern Valleys sub-region brought big improvements; exciting wines from drier, cooler Awatere. Many archetypal wines, but good value, too, thanks to the presence of some big companies. Fragrant, red-fruited, midweight, with fine tannins. A key area for sparkling and rosé. Nelson: High sunshine with sheltering hills; perfumed, expressively fruity wines; Moutere clay soils give the wines silky tannins and texture. North Canterbury: Early vineyards near Christchurch but more recently a migration north to the drier, more sheltered rolling hills of Waipara and the inland, limestone soils of nearby Waikari. Perfumed, spicy, red/black fruits, supple, textural. Central Otago: Pinot Noir is the flagship variety, with some 80% of plantings. Six sub-regions: Gibbston, Bannockburn, Alexandra, Cromwell/Lowburn/Pisa, Bendigo and Wanaka. Quartz/schist/granite and glacial soils; aromatic, supple, vivid red/black fruit with spice and dried herbs, and good acid-tannin structure. [/breakout] [/subscriber-content] Emma Jenkins MW's top New Zealand Pinot Noir wines from recent vintages: [wine-collection] Related articles In pursuit of Pinot: The allure of New Zealand’s regional styles Pinot Noir: 20 top-scoring wines to try Burgundy 2023: What to expect from a rollercoaster vintage

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New Zealand Pinot Noir: Vintage report and 40 new releases rated

Scroll down for notes and scores for 40 brilliant NZ Pinot Noir recent releases

Emma Jenkins MW’s top New Zealand Pinot Noir wines from recent vintages:

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