Tasting Amisfield’s top-tier pinot, made with fruit from the winery’s Rocky Knoll Vineyard, is always a treat. This wine is …

“Everything I want in a pinot is here,” noted an admiring Sophie Otton, who was enraptured by our top wine …

  Another smartly priced wine, this one comrd from the AwatereValley. It displays the nervy, tight lines and purity so …

An intro of classic violet scents leads on to a complex palate. Bright blueberry- and raspberry-infused fruit is tempered by …

A heady aromatic broadside greets the nostrils, with oak spice, together with red and dark berry-fruit notes, playing a merry …

Deftly crafted by Malcolm Rees-Francis, this focused, concentrated wine oozes class. Attractive savoury and floral aromatics are the overture to …

Saint Clair makes it two of the top three with this vibrant, attractively perfumed wine. Tamarillo and red berry notes …

This highly regarded winery’s pinots are becoming more distinguished by the vintage. Intense floral aromatics and a rich, creamy – …

Brambly scents lead on to a mouthful of intense fruit flavours, red and dark, nicely presented with fine powdery tannins. …

Always a wine to watch, as it regularly over-delivers in the price-quality stakes. This latest version offers lifted, ethereal lilac …

Good things are happening at the winery formerly known as Olssens, one of which is this excellent buy. Winemaker Jen …

This wine’s elements all come together beautifully. A core of ripe, intense, beguiling fruit is enlivened by keen acidity and …

A typically deep coloured flavoursome wine from Villa’s Marlborough team. Dark plum and some red berry notes come through, lightly …

“Enticing, elegant, gorgeous!” raved Nadine Cross. Haunting floral scents prepare you for a mouthful of rich, dark, sweet fruit balanced …

The name conjures visions of some ancient monastic order, but it’s actually Treasury Wine Estates’ premium Kiwi pinot label. This …

From one of Waipara’s top labels comes this punchy expression. “Bright lights” floral aromatics lead the charge, backed up by …

Summer dessert scents of crushed blueberries and blackberries set the tone for this wine. There is real fruit depth and …

The John Forrest Marlborough showcase pinot fills a large canvas with lashings of rich dark fruit, attractively seasoned with oak …

Another Central Otago 2009 that is ageing well. Lying in wait beyond a veil of smoke and spice scents is …

The rose-petal perfumes provide an elegant prelude. In the mouth though, this wine moves to a racier beat. There’s plenty …

Central Otago was one of the few places in the country where the sun shone over the 2012 season and …

This wine is all seduction, from the coffee and spice aromatic overlay to the soft, powdery tannins. In between is …

Many of the Central Otago 2010s are refusing to grow up, still showing almost outrageous coltishness. This wine is of …

“Come hither” brambly floral scents draw you in to this sensual wine. Plush, velvety tannins carry the rich, ripe, boysenberry-infused …

Made by Pete Bartle and grown near the site where Jean Désiré Feraud made the region’s first wines 140 years …

Grown on the upper slopes of Auntsfield’s southern valleys site (a haunt for raptors), this is a lusciously perfumed, rich …

From the winery that won the first-ever gold medal for a pinot noir in this country (in 1983) comes a …

Great line and length (but no movement in the air) are features of this wine from the experienced Steve Bird. …

Outstanding value and this label have always gone together, and this new release is no exception. Orange peel and other …

Our top pinot’s predecessor displays all the harmony of its older sibling. Attractive secondary notes (dried apricot and spice) add …

Brennan strikes yet again with this chunky, dark-fruited, spicy number which conjures thoughts of a blackberry fool dessert. An engaging …

Faded rose scents with a twist of spice and dried herb lead the way to a juicy, delicate mouthful of …

Cloudy Bay’s southern valleys sites are providing the winery with quality fruit, as shown in this beautifully perfumed, pure, flowing …

Red fruit florals laced with a herbal note get things going. In the mouth this wine is flavoursome, finely structured …

This Matt Thomson-crafted pinot gets its name from Tom Hatter, a colourful Marlborough identity from days gone by. It’s ageing …

As approachable in price as in style. Cranberry and crushed leaf scents make way for a bright, red-fruit-infused palate. A …

Steve Davies’ fabulous rolling, elevated Bannockburn site is starting to hit its straps. This wine drew universal praise for its dark-fruit charm …

Hawke’s Bay-based Elephant Hill uses fruit from two Central vineyards (one in Tarras, the other Alexandra) to make this plump, …

Lively aromatics, laced with signature Martinborough incense and spice notes, mark the approach to a wine Nadine Cross described as …

Fromm and the Clayvin vineyard have had a strong partnership stretching back to the early 1990s. This is a formidable …

Beaut fruit, but what about those tannins! Ian Dee’s closely planted vineyard at the entrance of the Kawarau Gorge once …

Grown on limestone and clay slopes, this is a wine to sip and contemplate. The flavours are restrained – Christmas …

This Gunn is loaded with a charge of plush, juicy dark fruit that does not go off half-cocked. It’s an …

Grown with love and care at a small vineyard in Alexandra, this is a pinot with excellent fruit depth and …

This small, quality-driven winery on Te Muna Rd produces elegant, award-winning pinot noir with extraordinary regularity. This deeply perfumed version …

This stalwart Marlborough producer’s pinot vines are becoming older and wiser, and have had a hand in this expression’s supple …

Occupying a superb Tarras site beside the mighty Clutha River, the Maori Point vineyard produces distinctive pinots. From the standout …

Mission Estate winemaker Paul Mooney puts the pinot fruit that comes his way to very good use. The entire panel …

Grown in the Cromwell Basin and made by the accomplished Carol Bunn, this 2009 is ageing well. There’s a fresh, …

This is a youthful, lively rendition. A strong aromatic dose of bright florals introduce what Sophie Otton described as a …

This splendid wine skilfully keeps a lot of different balls in the air: boldness, elegance, purity and funkiness. It has …

Northburn’s vines look north and west across Lake Dunstan, soaking up plenty of ripening rays. This version is bright and …

Palliser Estate’s second-tier label has been one to watch over recent years. Beneath wisps of smoky oak is a core …

A label that for many encapsulates everything they love about Central Otago pinot delivers another stunner. A lovely floral and …

Moving to Peregrine’s lower-tier label represents a far bigger drop in price than in quality.  This is a light, bright, …

This wine’s complexity reels you in from that first sniff of dark flowers, cloves and dried herbs. The dark, ripe …

Framingham’s entry-level pinot is unabashedly fruit-forward and engaging. Dark florals, attractive blueberry notes and a lush, velvety texture contributes to …

Personality, rather than polish, comes through in this raw, gamy, flinty wine from the multi-region Rochfort Rees label. Dark plum …

Red- and dark-fruit characters come out to play with help from spicy, charry, barrel-ferment notes. This is a vibrant, juicy …

Dark plum and tamarillo, together with a layer of spicy Christmas cake, emerge in this fresh, vibrant pinot grown in …

Named after the stud Jersey bulls which once lived on the site, this is a luscious, rich wine. Instantly lovable …

Fruit from three quite different sites comes together in this characterful pinot. Enticing florals lead you through to a complex …

Lilac, roses, buddleia… an English country garden of fragrances awaits. As does a heavenly dose of sweet ripe fruit in …

Seductive floral scents and big flavours signal a typical Jackson’s vintage. Beautifully lush in texture, this wine is alive with …

Made by Tamra Washington and her winemaking team at Yealands Estate, this very smartly priced wine is grown at sites …

In this wine Grant Taylor allows some wonderful pinot fruit to express itself clearly. The fruit presence is dark, bright …

Be ready for the earth to move – this wine’s from Seddon, after all. Beautiful, rich, pure fruit stands centre …

Born in Bendigo and raised at Waipara Hills’ north Canterbury HQ, this wine’s “composure and finesse” was admired by Sophie …

This veteran Marlborough label’s reserve range shows off the estate’s finest fruit. In this case it’s fine indeed – a …

This small, family-owned Alexandra winery is developing a strong reputation for quality. This well-made pinot exhibits lifted florals and an …

The vines at Wooing Tree must get a lot of love, for this is a beautifully ripe, joyous pinot. Intense …