Dark plum, tobacco and sour cherry aromas lead in to a dense, quite nervy palate where red and dark fruit notes hold …

Matt Dicey has crafted a splendid pinot. It exudes a perfume evocative of dark roses and violets, which leads to …

Fruit, glorious fruit. This wine’s fruit expression impressed the entire panel. Layers of red and dark fruit notes fill the mouth …

This is a bold, retro style built around a lush heart of ripe fruit. Red and dark fruit flavours cavort across the …

Grown on a sloping site with vines that are now 20 years old, this new release offers the attributes we’ve come …

Rosie Butler and Rodger Tynan have been producing some fine pinot on their limestone-rich sites near Waipawa. This 2016 expression …

The pinots flowing from this Wanaka- based winery get more exciting by the vintage. This is a juicy, lively expression …

Winemaker Nadine Cross deftly blends fruit from a number of sites across the region to create the perennially exciting Peregrine pinot. …

TYPICALLY MARLBOROUGH “We were just tasting some 2015s the other day, and thinking, ‘Those were the days – or vintages!’,” …

This smartly priced charmer from a pioneering winery that is treading a bold, individualistic path, impressed John Belsham: “A well-defined bright expression with …

Grown on the western shores of Lake Dunstan, this is a delightful, bold expression. Dark, crushed berryfruit flavours are seasoned …

This is a big, imperious style with dramatic flourishes. Overt floral and spice scents lead through to an opulent dark-fruited mouthful. The …

This Hawke’s Bay winery’s strong pinot progress continues with this attractive wine. Red fruit and cedary scents are the prelude …

This is a wonderful advertisement for Martinborough depth and finesse. Strikingly coloured, it offers a medley of haunting scents – crushed berryfruit, sour …

Fruit is king in this ripe, plush expression. Rich floral and tamarillo scents set the scene. In the mouth the …

A seductive nose of dark florals ushers in a mouthful where juicy dark fruit is nicely supported by attractive oak. …

“Delicious warmth,” noted Jo Gear. The nose is subtle yet pretty, with violets, chocolate, coffee and spice notes to the …

Grown at a favoured site in Queensberry on the Wanaka Road, this 2013 is holding beautifully. A big, generous serving …

Burgundy-born winemaker Lucie Lawrence has added another to her growing list of fine pinots. Delicately perfumed, this is a light-stepping …

The lion’s share (71%) of this wine’s fruit was grown in the Awatere Valley, and it shows. This is a …

Intriguing smoky, earthy scents along with red fruit notes provide the introduction to this quite singular expression. A core of …

Bright, confected aromatics set the tone. This is a brazen, fruit-led style with good fruit purity and quite a sweet …

This 2015 expression has settled into its work beautifully. The introduction is low key, but it builds quietly yet impressively …

Bright in colour and personality, this is a fresh, well-structured style. The flavour profile is distinctive with sweet dark berry, …

This is one for the lovers of big, dark, mouthfilling pinot. Sweet tamarillo and black doris plum flavours, with a …

Grown in a southern valleys vineyard with high vine density and which is certified organic, this is a brightly perfumed, …

Crafted by the practised Pete Bartle, this Alexandra-grown pinot is poised, pure and vibrant. It flows with elegance and discipline, …

Pinots of this quality rarely come so sharply priced. It leads with pretty floral scents, and in the mouth is …

Made from fruit drawn from both the Wairau and Awatere Valley, this is another very smart buy. Crushed berryfruit scents …

Complex fragrances, a blend of savoury and sweetness, lead the charge. In the mouth this wine is youthful and bright, …

Dark in colour with deep floral fragrances, this pinot offers the quality fruit and approachability we’ve come to expect from …

Priced to please, this wine is “a delicious mouthful of drinkability” (Jo Gear). Red berry, dark cherry and herbal notes …

Estate-grown in the Bendigo sub-region, there is lusciousness to this wine. Plum and black fruit flavours shine brightly, along with …

Crafted from single vineyard Bendigo fruit, this debut pinot is seriously good for the price. It’s a warm, ripe expression, …

“Holly’ is the top pinot made by this estate, which is situated on the Eketahuna Road near Masterton. The nose …

An overture of generous floral scents, with some savoury complexity, leads the way to a delightful mouthful. The fruit is …

Deep dark floral scents, including a touch of lilac, declare this wine’s Central Otago origins. In the mouth it is …

Beautifully coloured (garnet and ruby), this wine has an attractive smoky earthiness which offsets the succulent, dark fruit flavours. Warm …

A label that has become a ‘go to’ for many up and down the country, as it always delivers great …

Winemaker Malcolm Rees-Francis has crafted this delightful wine using fruit drawn from the Gibbston (14%) and Parkburn (86%) sub-regions. Engaging …

This is a very lovable wine. It overflows with dark, sweet, succulent fruit laced with smoky bacon notes. The flavours …

After an entrée of pretty floral scents (lilac, violet), this wine launches a fruit-laden charm offensive on the palate. Sweet, …

Dark, soft, gentle scents greet the nose. In the mouth a wave of vibrant red and dark fruit moves at …

This is a very approachable wine. Made in an old school style, it offers a heaped helping of sweet dark …

Easy to fall for and dangerously easy to drink. This is a dark plum and tamarillo-infused wine with real fruit …

Sophisticated scents that are evocative of Burgundy lead through to a vibrant mouthful. A burst of juicy red fruit and …

There’s plenty of life left in this fine specimen. Crushed berryfruit and dark plum notes occupy the front row, backed …