Rapaura Springs have turned plenty of heads with their current releases - the Reserve Pinot Noir is little short of jaw dropping. Drinking beautifully now expect a nose that's ripe, plush and jammed full of seductive fruit and spice smells, while textbook silky mouth-feel leads to a long fine finish. Drink it with five spice duck and rice.

There is a delicate perfume of Kirsch and dried strawberry with underlying dried bouquet garni. This is a light to medium-bodied wine with a supple yet generously flavoured palate.

Freshly picked strawberries, raspberries and red rose petals on opening, followed by darker notes of black cherry, roasted star anise and cinnamon. The palate is juicy and soft, with fine tannins and bright acidity. A perfect and accessible snapshot of Central Otago.

Mud House have asserted a reputation for Pinot Noir in a crowded New Zealand marketplace by proving excellent varietal and terroir driven examples like this Golden Terraces Vineyard Pinot Noir from Central Otago at some great prices. With lifted aromas of dark cherry and berry fruit with underlying notes of mocha and cinnamon giving way to a sumptuous palate of bramble and spice characters with considerable length.

Nanny Goat Vineyard is the clear leader of the pack when it comes to affordable Central Otago Pinot Noir. Made in a fruit forward style with mounds of fresh berry fruit and intense lifted perfume notes of violet and blueberry. Still medium-bodied on the palate with soft, powdery tannin, this is a Pinot for the moment.

Hawkshead was the first home in New Zealand of Denis Marshall’s ancestor, naturalist William Swainson, Fellow of the Royal Society, who arrived to make his home here in 1841. Denis Marshall & Ulrike Kurenbach dedicate their wines to all those who have made this beautiful country their home. Grapes are hand-picked, de-stemmed and matured in French oak barrels. Minimal intervention in the winery and sustainable wine growing are our principles.

Approachable, generous and flavoursome with a silken elegance. Berry fruits come to the fore with gentle dried herb notes in the background. Medium bodied, the palate is finely structured with lovely soft lingering tannins which integrate perfectly with the soft supportive acid and plush fruit.

Lerida Estate Lake George Pinot Noir is 100% sourced from the estate vineyad at Lake George. Maturated in French oak for just under a year, this armoatic and perfumed Pinot shows cherry, red current, allspice, vanilla and gamey aromas. Once in the mouth, the wine displays luscious red fruits with a balanced savoury backbone with fine, integrated tannin.

Dark cherry, violet and cinnamon spice aromas complement red fruit, chocolate and subtle spice flavours on the palate. The fruit flavours are framed with supple tannins and a core of juicy acidity. This wine is immediately enjoyable but will continue to drink well for the next eight years if you can wait that long.

Stonier produces one of the most consistent Pinots from the Mornington Peninsula. Attractive plum and cherry flavours are enhanced by some gamey undertones and smoky oak influence. Perfect with duck.