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

Bounds out of the glass with a lifted, floral perfume – spicy orange peel notes and plenty of generous fruit. The palate has lots of...

A little reserved at first, then opens up with an elegant wave of gentle florals, red and blue fruits, and dried herbs; quite earthy, too....

Quite a different style. While the classic abundant NZ fruit is present, it’s layered beneath subtle and complex earth, spice and forest floor (plus a...

Nose is pretty closed but there are intriguing, inviting flashes of earth, graphite, blue florals, damson plum, cherry and wild raspberry. Quite a silky, sweet-fruited...

A harmonious wine, so generous and giving that you nearly overlook the firm spine of acidity and tannin that shows its pedigree. Very fragrant and...

Savoury and enticing on the nose with compact red cherry, wild berries, rose petals, wild thyme and crushed rock. There’s an opening gambit of sweet...

Gives little away on the nose. Tantalising glimpses of blackberry, bay leaf, rosehip, maybe some cherries and raspberry leaf. The palate is structural, dry and...

From the biodynamically farmed home vineyard in Lowburn. A lively and complex character. Lavender, thyme, blueberry, cherry and pomegranate with earth, spice and a dense...

Dark cherry, milk chocolate, star anise, dried herbs, rosehip and a touch of earth and graphite. There's plenty of fruit but this isn't a fruity...

Fragrant with waxy rose florals and dried herbs. There’s a strong savoury thread amid the bright red and black fruits. The palate has Wairau’s silky...

Very subtle and elegant. There’s a sense of ease in the warm, velvety Bannockburn fruit, interwoven with spices, earthiness, dried herbs and autumn leaves. Compact...

An intense, inviting nose with lots of spicy liveliness and layers. Rich and quite bold in style but never heavy. Plenty of red and black...

Deep colour, aromatics and flavour. Richly fragrant and quite bold (relative to the elegant Felton Road context) with the classic Bannockburn velvety mid-palate texture. Brimming...

Evocative, perfumed nose with red cherries, blueberries, borage, violets, baking spice and a distinctive savoury herbal note. Lovely fruit and perfume alongside plenty of structure...

Made with 10% whole-bunch fermentation, fruit sourced about 60% from Quarters vineyard in the Brancott valley and 40% from the organic Settlement vineyard. Super-delicious, with...

A very restrained nose gives a sense of the depth on the palate – cherries, spices, earth, soy. The savoury palate has plenty of tannin...

Nose a little shy at first, then lots of perfumed red fruit emerges – tamarillo and plum, a dash of spice, a lift of blue...

<p>This has a powerful nose, a little reductive and smoky, with exotic spices and dark fruits – black cherry, five spice, dark cocoa, earth and...

<p>While fairly closed at first, this soon opens up with opulently perfumed nose, layered red/black fruits, florals, spice, a lot of earth and vinosity here...

Elegant and spicily perfumed, with delicate cranberry, rosehip, coal dust and sage/bay notes. The palate is somehow voluminous and compact at the same time, harmonious...

A deceptively sophisticated wine, seeming at first joyfully pretty and open-knit; but the longer it sat in glass, the more comfortable and interesting it became....

Warm and velvety with a medley of blackberry, anise, dried herbs and forest floor. Plenty of depth to the fruit but it’s not fruity as...

Slowly yields blue and red fruit, and lavender florals, with a smoky, slightly herbal undertow that shifts and changes across the nose. Quite juicy and...

After an initial touch of bacon fat, mocha and tobacco whole-bunch notes, there’s plenty of wild red berries, cherries and pomegranate. Silky ripe fruit and...

A little shy at first, then layers of fruit (cranberry, pomegranate, red plum), earth, minerals and spice. Good weight and silkiness on the palate with...

A subtle, complex nose with earth, autumn leaves, fruit on the redder spectrum and a touch of iodine/bloodiness. The palate is layered and interesting, taut...

Lovely opulence and perfume from the start, full of dark cherry, damson plum, earth and spice, a touch of orange peel and clove; slightly smoky,...

A spicy, silky, mouthfilling wine at the richer end of the spectrum, admirably showcasing Nelson’s perfumed, ripe fruit. Black and red berries with a floral...

A pretty nose, rich in fruit, earth, spice and blue flowers. The palate is vibrant and dense with wild raspberries, blackberries and plums, and for...

Perfumed and pure-fruited with cassis, red liquorice, strawberry jam, red cherry, vanilla and rose petals – think summer pudding. Juicy and upfront with a delicate...

A subtle, layered wine with wild strawberry, blackberries and Black Doris plums, clove and earth, and a hint of orange peel. The palate is plush,...

From a single vineyard in Alexandra, one of the world’s most southerly, planted in 2003. Enticing nose, layered and interesting, perfumed with red liquorice, spice,...

A charming nose, very perfumed with a medley of red, blue and black fruits, lots of spice and a touch of florals. An elegant, bright...

Attractive savoury red and black fruit aromas and a lift of allspice, wild thyme and borage. Plush and velvety, consistent and textural palate with a...

Cherries, red plums, hints of bacon fat and dark cocoa, wild thyme and allspice. A little shy but supple, with smooth tannins and generous, savoury...

Much to enjoy here. Raspberries and cream with a raw edge, lots of crunchy, vibrant fruit, the palate juicy within a lean (in a good...

An enticing perfume of sweet spices, cranberry, cherry and raspberry, some earth and light spicy whole-bunch notes. The fine, ripe fruit has been handled with...

Layers of black cherry, raspberry, mineral notes, earth and tobacco. The ripe, fruit-rich palate has a touch of reduction and nice suppleness, with a juicy...

An inviting nose of rich cherry, wild raspberry and thyme, and sweet baking spices. The palate is balanced between a sweet core of fruit and...

Fragrant nose, slightly brooding with dark cherry, dried herb, liquorice, wild raspberry, pomegranate, lots of layers of ripe fruit and some satisfying earthy notes. Delivers...