Remarkable in name and remarkable in nature. Hailing from the young, funky and cool region of Central Otago this Pinot Noir shows all the cherry richness we've come to expect. Add in the sheer approachability courtesy of the smattering of strawberry and red berry flavours and the silken, soft finish and you have an Otago bargain that is a must try.

Felton Road is responsible, to a large extent, for putting Central Otago on the world Pinot Noir map. The wines are, well not so much fruit-driven, as perhaps turbo-charged! Amazing levels of red fruits, a subtle yet important savoury component, along with the silky texture all Pinot enthusiasts long for. This single-block wine shows how different portions of a single vineyard can still have a quite unique character, or what the French would call terrior.

Felton Road really is a fine winemaker. This is its regular bottling and what a wine, with lush, dark cherry and mysterious foresty aromas. It's very ripe and rich and the palate has intensity and drive, with fresh acidity keeping it all singing.

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.

Planted on terraces and alluvial schist based soils formed by the Mata-Au (Clutha) River producing perfumed wines with elegant texture, structure and mineral length.

Long Gully Pinot Noir is handcrafted in very limited quantities and only released in outstanding vintages. Crisp blackberry and Bing cherry interplay with baronial floral notes alongside an assemblage of sweet brown spices. These same lifted dark cherry and berry notes dominate the entry onto the palate; theres a classic Long Gully dense mid-palate with flow and texture. The wine finishes strongly with a lovely tension present right through the fine-grained tannins and spicy dark berry fruit. Mt Difficulty Long Gully Pinot Noir will improve for 10 15 years given optimal cellaring conditions.

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.

VALLI Burn Cottage Vineyard Pinot Noir, Central Otago