Pinot Noir Game Changers
The Pinot Noir grape hails from Burgundy in France. While their origins are in France you’ll find that our New Zealand Pinot Noirs are quite unique.
It is this uniqueness that has our wine producers looking to Pinot Noir to being the next big export success – on the back of their outstanding success with Sauvignon Blanc. We have selected a few here that vary quite dramatically in style and in price. Best matched with venison or pork dishes, these wines are the perfect accompaniment to enhance any game dish. Choose any one of these to suit your budget and you won’t be disappointed.
Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016 –Awatere Valley, Marlborough
Peter Yealand has a reputation for doing things differently. When he set out to establish this vineyard just a few years ago, people thought he was mad. The land is exposed coastline with some of the toughest growing conditions in Marlborough. But it is the high sunshine and wind, cool nights and low rainfall at the Seaview Vineyard in the Awatere Valley that the string of accolades Yealands has achieved in a very short time is attributed to.
The sea view vineyard also has the added benefit of being vast. In fact, this single vineyard is one of the largest in the country.
The wine is earthy and savoury. As with a classic Marlborough Pinot Noir, the nose is dominated by notes of dark cherry, violets and spice. Luscious dark cherries come through on the palate, balanced with a lovely minerality that seems to come through with wines from the Yealands range.
RRP $26.95
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014 – ‘Southern Clays’
Villa Maria is an icon of the New Zealand wine producing industry. Under the guidance of Sir George Fistonich, this winery has become a global phenomenon. For a phenomenal 55-plus years, Sir George has been at the helm as CEO and is now retiring to focus more on his role as an ambassador for the company. Full credit to Sir George, though, for having steered this company into becoming one of our largest wine exporters and our most award-winning winery – pioneering the way for the New Zealand wine industry.
While Villa Maria has a large range of Pinot Noirs in their selection, with the newly launched organic range promising to be a hit, it was this particular ‘Southern Clays’ Pinot Noir that captivated our attention. Rich and complex, with purity and finess, the wine seduces the olfactory sensors with aromas of ripe red fruits, gentle spice and violets – a hallmark of a classic Marlborough Pinot Noir.
The grapes come from their Rutherford vineyard situated in Ben Morven Valley at the southern end of the Wairau Valley – an area renowned for the vivacious fruity notes the grapes produce. Layers of dense red and black fruits intertwine with subtle oaky tannins to form a long, balanced and silky, yet powerful, finish.
RRP $54.99
Rockburn Pinot Noir 2016 – Central Otago
My first experiences with Pinot Noir were the Central Otago Pinots. Quite distinct in flavour and style from the cousins further north, often these Pinot Noirs are quite a bit darker and more robust than you generally get with a Pinot. I recall one winemaker saying this may be due to the earlier positioning of the wines to appeal to the Australian tourist market seeking the more robust wines like their own Shiraz. He felt that this led winemakers to ripen the grapes a lot longer.
It could also come down to the climate; with longer days during the summer in a very sheltered valley, with lower rainfall and higher temperatures leading to more ripening hours.
This particular Pinot Noir was produced from grapes grown in the Gibbston (14 percent) and Lowburn (86 percent) Valleys, where some of our most highly acclaimed Pinot Noirs hail from.
The wine delivers an expressive nose of violets and black cherries. The palate displays vibrant notes of red and black cherry, rich mocha and silky tannins leading into an elegant, lingering finish.
RRP $45
Mills Reef Reserve Pinot Noir 2016 – Marlborough
Mills Reef is a winery that consistently impresses. It has to be one of the most awarded little wineries in the country. They produce a wide range of different wines, mostly from the Hawke’s Bay region. However, this wine is one of the very few they produce from outside the region.
Using grapes grown on low-yielding vines in Marlborough, Tim Preston and Paul Dawick have created an outstanding wine that delivers incredibly good value for money.
Harmonious in structure, this elegant Pinot Noir is delightfully approachable. Hints of blackberry and blackcurrant with spicy notes come through on the nose; and the palate exudes opulent flavours of ripe blackberry and blackcurrant intertwined with appealing leather and pepper spice notes.
RRP $24.95
