It was Sauvignon Blanc, with its unique flavors and aggressive marketing, that put New Zealand on the world wine map in the 1980s. While not everyone’s cup of tea with its racy style, the variety became synonymous with New Zealand wine and accounts for more than three-quarters of the country’s wine production.
But there’s another emerging wine star in New Zealand: Pinot Noir, which has become the second most planted variety and the leading red grape.
With its relatively cool climate, including most notably Central Otago in the southernmost part of the South Island, New Zealand is prime Pinot Noir territory.
Stylistically, the wines range from inexpensive, basic, fruit-driven expressions (mainly red fruits), to wines of considerable complexity. While not as nuanced as many Burgundies, and less concentrated than Pinot Noirs from Oregon or California, the New Zealand wines occupy an interesting middle ground.
Ripeness is clearly achievable, as my tastings showed, but there is something else that distinguishes them: Almost all show a pronounced earthiness and savoriness that make them fascinating and differentiate them from other Pinot Noirs.
I certainly found this in the Central Otago wines, but also in Pinots from Marlborough, the wine region in the northeast corner of the South Island that is New Zealand’s largest and most famous for Sauvignon Blanc.
Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson sum it up well in their “World Atlas of Wine,” writing that “Central Otago Pinot Noir, like Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, may not be the subtlest wine in the world, but it is easy to like almost as soon as it is bottled.”
Indeed, while some of the wines I tasted will benefit from a few more years in the bottle, most were quite accessible now, which, of course, is what most people want when they shop for wine.
Here are nine of the best New Zealand Pinot Noirs:
Amisfield Pinot Noir Central Otago 2020
Everything comes together seamlessly in this top Central Otago Pinot Noir: dark berry fruits and plum, savory notes and a touch of black pepper, hints of cinnamon and clove. It has firmer tannins than some, which, combined with a mineral thread, give the wine great texture. As with almost all the wines I tasted, barrel aging is done judiciously and doesn’t call attention to itself.
Price: $26
Buy This Wine
Nautilus Southern Valleys Pinot Noir 2019
This elegant Pinot Noir shows subtle sweet cherry and blueberry aromas and flavors with hints of orange peel, earth, and minerals. With its 13 percent ABV and balanced acidity, it’s on the lighter side in terms of weight but shows plenty of depth.
Price: $32
Buy This Wine
Villa Maria Pinot Noir Marlborough 2021
Well known and widely available, this entry-level Pinot Noir from Villa Maria is uncomplicated and delicious, with spicy and sour cherry notes and touches of fennel seed and orange peel. It’s also a real bargain at $16 or so. (For a step up, try Villa Maria’s 2020 Reserve Pinot Noir, which offers more concentrated savory and spicy red fruit.)
Price: $16
Buy This Wine
Spy Valley Pinot Noir Marlborough Southern Valleys 2022
Red berry fruit, blueberry, and baking spices are the hallmark of this excellent Pinot Noir, with forest floor and floral notes accenting the fruit. Made from grapes that grow in clay, loess, and loam soils in two different vineyards in Marlborough subregions.
Price: $26
Buy This Wine
Kumeu River ‘Rays Road’ Pinot Noir Hawke’s Bay 2020
Merlot is the star in Hawke’s Bay on the southeast side of the North Island, but there’s also some Pinot Noir grown there, and this standout example is bursting with ripe fruit, including spicy cherry, strawberry, fig, and blueberry notes. Touches of nutmeg and earth accent the fruit. Like so many New Zealand Pinots, it’s made for savory dishes like pasta with mushroom and leek sauce.
Price: $40
Buy This Wine
Peregrine Pinot Noir Central Otago 2018
Concentrated dark fruit notes, including cassis and blueberry, are punctuated by spice and herb touches and a wisp of cookie dough. Refreshing acidity provides balance in this stellar Central Otago Pinot. It’s a blend of grapes farmed organically in three Central Otago subregions.
Price: $34
Buy This Wine
Te Mata Estate ‘Alma’ Pinot Noir Hawke’s Bay 2021
This beautiful wine is the antithesis of the high-alcohol “fruit bomb” style of some California Pinots. If you like mineral-driven wines, this one will appeal to you. Dark berry fruit and plum aromas and flavors are punctuated by mineral, leather, and earth notes. There was an intriguing citrus hint — grapefruit pith, perhaps — on the finish. The wine will continue to evolve for some years.
Price: $68
Buy This Wine
Two Paddocks Pinot Noir Central Otago 2022
It takes a little while for this wine to open up, but when it does there’s great complexity starting with a combination of red cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, and red licorice notes. Add to that hints of vanilla, forest floor, and Mediterranean herbs including thyme and oregano. A bit more oak-driven than some.
Price: $48
Buy This Wine
Mount Riley Pinot Noir Marlborough 2022
A wisp of black pepper announces this Pinot Noir along with wet rocks and a hint of lavender on the nose. Sour cherry and raspberry are among the concentrated red fruit flavors. A graceful wine with fine tannins that give it a nice structure. An excellent value that surprised me with its under-$20 price tag.
Price: $17
Buy This Wine
