A selection of Central Otago Pinot Noir from 2023
Call it a natural attraction to the pull of lands at the antipodes, or simply a nerdy mind with a particularly selective memory, but one of the things I remember from the many I learnt during the WSET Level 4 Diploma – arguably the most demanding wine qualification before the MW programme – is that Central Otago in New Zealand is the most southerly wine region in the world.
Back in my study days, Okanagan Valley was considered the most northerly in terms of commercial viability, but for several years now, southern Norway and Sweden have claimed that spot.
So, when I was asked to look at a carefully selected dozen regional Pinot Noirs from the 2023 vintage, in the “Central Dozen”, promoted by the Central Otago Winegrowers Association (COWA), I didn’t hesitate. I have still to see a Swedish or Norwegian wine, let alone a dozen of them, but I’ll get there eventually.
COWA was established in the late 1980s by a tight-knit group of local vignerons who shared the common vision of putting a young, and still relatively small, wine region on the world map. As Maddie Bambridge, responsible for communications and membership at the association, explains, the folks were quick, and astute, in “recognising that collaboration was essential in a remote and challenging landscape”.
For those, like me, who are suckers for geographical “fun facts”, Blair Walter, general manager and winemaker at the celebrated Felton Road winery and board member responsible for COWA promotion, gladly offers a few.
Central Otago is placed on the latitude of 45 degree south, an important factor that, coupled with the relatively small landmass of Te Wai Pounamu (New Zealand’s South Island), creates a unique climate: a dry environment well suited to disease-free and sustainable viticulture, made possible by the protection of the Southern Alps to the west and south. The mountain range, in fact, drastically reduces annual rainfall to between 300–500mm, compared with the 7,000–10,000mm experienced only 80km to the west.
Despite the cold influence of the Southern Ocean and the weather systems circling the planet in what is known as the “Roaring Forties”, those kill buzz winds spiralling between the latitudes 40 and 50 degree south, so disliked by viticulturists, but by contrast, loved by yachtsmen and alike, (to put in a perspective, an old sailor’s expression goes, “below 40 degrees south, there is no law; below 50 degrees, there is no God”) , vines manage to thrive here against the odds.
The inland position of many vineyards contributes to warmer summers and combined with a long growing season and high diurnal temperature range (the difference between the daily maximum and minimum temperatures), has helped capture the attention of many outsiders. The region’s international appeal, in fact, is reflected in the backgrounds of several producers: consider, for instance, the German and American roots of Claudia Elze-Weersing at Pyramid Valley, British-born Nigel Greening, owner of Felton Road or the strong French heritage behind Akarua, founded by Benjamin de Rothschild, and the historic Monte Christo winery, established by Jean Désiré Féraud in 1864.
Pinot Noir is unquestionably the major player of Central Otago, accounting for more than 80% of total plantings. The style is recognisable from miles away, with a regional identity that is difficult to overlook. As Walter explains: “Central Otago Pinot Noirs are usually quite deeply fruited on the palate, often showing darker shades while also possessing complex and positive, green-tinged elements. With ever-increasing vine age, the wines are becoming more harmonious and complex, with greater natural fruit tannin and less reliance on winemaking inputs.”
The 2023 vintage, the theme of the current “Central Dozen”, is described as on the COWA website “one that built complexity and character, with one producer noting that “it’s a vintage that doesn’t shout. It reveals itself slowly, but with quiet intensity””.
Indeed, while a couple of examples leaned towards immediate charm and drinkability, most built momentum gradually, each expressing a different kind of slow-burn energy closely tied to the character of its subregional terroir.
The subregions of Bannockburn, Cromwell, Bendigo, Lowburn, Pisa, Alexandra and W?naka all present different peculiarities when it comes to soils. Those can range from silt loam to gravel, with significant schist and sandy components, resulting in dramatically different styles of Pinot.
The sense of place is something COWA has actively promoted over the years through initiatives such as the Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration, launched in 2000; the Central Wine Retreat, described on the association’s website as “a three-day excursion with like-minded people from around New Zealand and Australia, immersing you in the inner workings of our collaborative industry”; and, of course, “The Central Dozen” itself.
Today, little more than 100 wineries make up this varied community. Their strength lies in the diversity of their backgrounds and expertise, combined with a strong collaborative spirit that continues to shape this wild slice of land.
As Bambridge confirms: “That shared mindset, valuing cooperation and believing in the potential of the region, remains a defining trait today. Even as margins tighten, global sales fluctuate and external pressures arise, Central Otago producers continue to support one another and uphold high standards of care for both land and wine.”
It’s remarkable what a wine body can achieve when proactive, incentivised collaboration exists among its members, something many other “non-wine” sectors could learn from.
2023 Grasshopper Rock Earnscleugh Vineyard Pinot Noir
92 pts |RRP: $ NZD 48
From one of the world’s most southerly vineyards, on the southern slope of the Alexandra Basin, comes a Pinot of remarkable organoleptic intensity. Its aromas burst with fresh red berries, cranberries, strawberries, cherries, and red plums, alongside a hint of red liquorice. Vibrant, lifted, and succulent primary aromas define this wine. On the palate, it is transparent, conveying the same delicious fruit flavours, framed by ultra-soft tannins that support the pulpiness of the fruit. A generously fruity and expressive Pinot that is instantly appealing, showcasing the elegance and vibrancy of a cool vineyard site.
2023 Brennan Wines B2 Pinot Noir
90 pts | RRP: $ NZD 38
Sustainable certified, this wine opens with mineral-laden aromas, hints of graphite, and turned earth. The nose is multi-layered, evolving from earthy-mineral notes to macerated cherries coated in chocolate and raspberries, then to delicate rose petals and herbal-orange amaro nuances. The slightly higher alcohol gives the palate punch and weight, softening the tannins and resulting in a bold yet concise statement.
2023 Peregrine Pinot Noir
94 pts | RRP: $ NZD 55
Organic certified and vegan friendly. The eye catches a slightly deeper colour compared to the previous two examples, and a first sniff confirms a certain profoundness rather than immediacy or openness. From a blend of grapes grown in Bendigo and on the foothills of the Pisa Range, this starts to feel like we are knees deep in the Central Otago guts: yet-to-unfold black cherries and blueberries, wild raspberries, and dark cocoa nibs. The palate structure dramatically changes, presenting a squared density, filled to the brim with substance. Tannins frame athletically the flavours that come in waves. Yet it’s like admiring the ocean at night under the stars: you can feel the strong presence pulling towards you, but you can’t clearly see what’s in the deeps, until the sun will rise. Give this wine some time.
2023 Akarua Baron Edmond de Rothschild
93 pts | RRP: $ NZD 45
Vegan and Sustainable New Zealand Winegrowers certified. Bannockburn fruits made à la française. An exotic, alluring whiff of Tahitian vanilla and ylang-ylang is complemented by the fragrancy of a freshly baked cherry tart. A bunch of summer flowers and a gentle sprinkle of baking spices add further vestige. But where is the fruit? On the palate, oak tannins intertwined with slowly building tannins first seize the attention. Then, a coiled juiciness runs through, signalling that the wine is still in its prime and in the process of integrating all its components. Will it do so in the near future? The best answer is to wait, for another five years at least.
2023 Monte Christo Pinot Noir
94 pts | RRP: $ NZD 75
Sustainable New Zealand Winegrowers certified, from one of the most historic wineries of Central Otago, founded in 1865. Today it is guided by the Paris family, with Nicholas also being an MW. Only 495 cases were produced. As detailed on the minimalistic yet informative back label, the grapes come from a blend of vineyards in Pisa, Bannockburn, and the Alexandra Basin: 45% from Catherine, 15% from Paris, 10% from Confluence, 15% from Davishon, and 15% from Springvale. Clones used are 115, Abel, 5, 777, 667, and 10/5. Bring on the MW nerdiness. At first glance, it tricked me into thinking of a different land: Oregon, to be precise. While there is a perceived clinical precision and modernity through a pristine gamut of flavours, ranging from summer violets, wild strawberries, and cherries to vanilla pods and Seville orange conserve, I cannot stop thinking of a certain meatiness, bresaola-like, underneath it all.The palate is where the brambly, spicy aspect of the partial whole bunch comes out more yet is still to settle in the great scheme of things. Currently densely packed in the mid-palate, it will benefit from more time in the bottle, and certainly from drinker patience.
2023 Moko Hills Pinot Noir
95 pts | RRP: $ NZD 59
From Bendigo, a mere 1,600-bottle production. Goji berries open the aromatic profile, then plunge deep into an amaro, herbal-like dimension, where bitter cocoa and grained pink pepper happily co-exist. It’s an “interesting cat”: it softly meows, yet simultaneously scratches you with its sharp, linear tannins. If you love cats as I do, you’ll get my analogy here. Nevertheless, the palate is quite something, between unmistakable structure and vibrant, coiled acidity that pushes a length rich in well-delineated, yet not obvious, fruit. Central Otago through and through.
2023 Amisfield Breakneck Pinot Noir
92pts | RRP: $ NZD $105
Organic and Sustainable New Zealand Winegrowers certified. From beneath the “glacially sculptured Pisa Ranges,” it makes you want to really go there. This cuvée is a selection of the best barrels and, as the name implies, it promises a rush of adrenaline if you are a fast-pacing, adventurous junkie. A whiff of VA sets the scene, which then opens to a medley of red and blue berries, baking spices, and a core of iodine. Sappy and chewy tannins make it highly digestible and overall balanced, with a soft, mellow side that smooths the finish.
2023 Quartz Reef Pinot Noir
94 pts | RRP: $59.95
Organic certified and vegan friendly, from one of the pioneers of Bendigo, Rudi Bauer. I really like the idea of adding a barcode on the back label so you can see the ingredients. After all, wine is an agricultural product, and you, as a consumer, deserve to know what’s in it. Here, they’ve gone the next level and added the nutritional facts: energy per 100?ml equals 78?kcal / 322?kJ. That translates to a glass of wine neither harming you nor making you fat. Moving on.
A whack of VA gives you a welcome in, then it’s time for macerated cherries and goji berries, Davinson plum, and smoked bresaola with sage gently heated on the barbecue. As gastronomic as it could feel, it certainly has the larger-than-life presence to go well with your next grilled dinner or Sunday lunch. And don’t worry; you’ll not get extra kg from this drinking experience. And as for the sausages… I’ll leave that to your imagination.
2023 Rippon Rippon Mature Vine Pinot Noir
95 pts | RRP: $ 105
“Granted a moment of custodianship, the primary interest of all who work and live at Rippon is to do justice to this remarkable piece of land.” And that is Rippon in Lake W?naka, with a simple, yet deeply complex commitment to their land that translates into a wine where delicate purity, lifted fragrance (thanks to a whiff of VA and juiciness), measured minerality, detailed gravelly tannins, and depth of flavours all travel on the same frequency. While the nose is not immediate, alluding to a delicate, old-world style, the palate reveals the true nature of a Central Otago Pinot that is not yet done—one that demands all the time necessary to unfold its whole essence, indifferent to the fleeting fashions of immediacy and instantly likable style.
2023 Pyramid Valley Snake’s Tongue Pinot Noir
96 pts | RRP: $ NZD 108
Forensically Verified Proven Origin by Oritain. If you don’t get how serious producers in Central Otago are when it comes to their environment, I don’t know what else you need. Snake’s Tongue, also known as Echium vulgare, is a wild botanical found in the pasture at the M?natu farm. A translucent ruby red colour set the scene to a captivating, measured nose where pristine fruit is the rule, well balanced by the spiciness of the whole bunch and a yet to achieve full evolution is not even on the cards. Rather than indicating a single aroma and flavour and their position on the timeline, it shows a sum-up of all the elements that, from the land, have come together into the bottle, with delicate wild berries notes, intense iodine and fragrant flowers. The tannins are ultra detailed, yet silky and impeccably balancing the idyllic picture of a wine made in the vineyard where nature is in charge.
2023 Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir
98 pts | RRP: $ NZD 138.50
Bannockburn expression at its best. It’s a well-versed rhythm of thyme and sage, followed by iodine and notes of wild cherries, mulberries, and blood plums. The musicality is one of distinction, assertive power, and elegance, achieving a balance and drive that is remarkable yet not impossible. And this is only on the nose. The palate holds the same promise, yet it cannot hide the immense presence of its tight, granular tannins, the insatiable freshness and drinkability, and the multi-layered nature of its flavours. A Pinot that ticks all the boxes for a long life and certainly has the pedigree to live that life to its fullest.
2023 Burn Cottage Burn Cottage Vineyard Pinot Noir
95 pts | RRP: $ NZD 80
From the foothills of the Pisa Range, certified organic. It shows a brilliant purple-red colour, and the nose is deep and unapologetic, with notes of graphite, goji berries, and blood plums, adorned with burnt orange skin and dark chocolate. While the fruit profile is well-polished, it doesn’t feel, even for a single moment, confected or adulterated. Fine-grained tannins frame the lifted and tonic acidity, the true owner of the palate, effortlessly carrying the flavours across and navigating with the reassuring calm typical of an experienced captain. This is a Pinot that lives in the moment yet possesses all the peculiarities necessary to be aged for another ten years.
