Dedicated solely to perfecting the variety, Black Grape Society have come mightily close to Pinot perfection with this Cromwell Basin sourced beauty. Deep and rich in flavour and colour, the juicy plum, cherry and blackberry palate make way for a ripe savoury finish.

Fruit for this lovely Pinot was selected meticulously, destemmed in stainless steel tanks, and subjected to wild fermentation. Post aging in French oak barrels for about 10 months, the wine was fined and bottled for release. Grasshopper Rock Pinot Noir 2014 shows a medium purple hue, with light pink highlights along the edges. The blissful nose gives off scents of dried herbs, mushrooms, red fruits and violets while the supple palate is packed with black and red cherries coupled with nuances of tobacco, spice and leather. The medium-weighted palate has a great structure and finesse, which mesh well with the fine and grainy tannins to provide a lengthy mineral finale. A suggested food pairing with this wine is smoked hoki.

This vintage has produced a Pinot Noir displaying ripe rich aromatics; perfumed black fruits of the forest dominate the aroma and these are underpinned by lovely clove, anise and other brown spice notes. The wine displays lovely elegance and flows with striking precision and clarity. On the palate it kicks off with a supple dark berry entry, moving into a beautifully textured plush mid-palate, after which fine elegant textural tannins frame fruit and acidity on a lengthy finish. Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Noir will improve for 7-10 years given optimal vintage and cellaring conditions.

The dried raspberry, lemon curd and Asian pear flavours are crisp and detailed, with notes of white flowers, five-spice powder and toast leading to a long, lingering, juicy finish. Offers an appealing mix of power and finesse. Drink now.

Rich and fresh flavour, bursting with juciy raspberry and cherry, framed by integrated savoury oak. Hints of liquorice and clove are accompanied by layers of delicate tanning, creating an opulent texture that flows to a smooth, lingering finish.

Nanny Goat is a Central Otago winery specialising in Pinot Noir. Its name derives from the fact that much of the country is rough, dry, mountainous and desolate – seemingly suitable only for goats. Apparently, the brand’s owner, Aussie John Valmorbida, was climbing up to a hilltop restaurant near Queenstown when the goat idea struck him. It is rather appropriate. Hand picked and destemmed the fruit was sourced exclusively from their vineyards in Queensberry before going into into small open top fermenters, with the final blend containing 26% whole bunch. The individual fermenters underwent a short pre-fermentation maceration before fermenting naturally and being left on skins for up to 32 days before pressing. After a brief period of settling, the wine was roughly racked, taking a small portion of light lees and transferred to 225L French oak barriques (27% new) where it underwent natural malolactic fermentation and matured for 11 months before being racked, blended and bottled. Typical of Queensberry Pinot Noir, the nose is dark and brooding yet beautifully perfumed. Blueberry and boysenberry notes are layered amongst florals suggestive of rose petal and violets. Toasted sweet baking spices are interwoven with dried herbs, black Doris plum and an intriguing whole bunch derived herbaceous lift. The palate is taut and powerful with powdery fine tannins up front lending a sinewy elegance. A fine streak of acidity offers a lively backdrop to the abundant berry fruits, presenting a wine that is both powerful and dense yet beautifully light on its feet.

This elegant wine has been made using premium parcels of grapes from select vineyards in Central Otago and exhibits lovely, exotic and wild fruit flavours. A soft, lingering taste provides a delicate finish.

In 1991, the Slapjack Block made history as the first vineyard planted in Bannockburn. Featuring 13 clones, the site sits at 250 metres above sea level on soils of dense glacial schist with a thin clay topping. The mature vines are certified organic with the low yields of fruit ushered into a singular expression of pinot noir made with minimal intervention. Slapjack is the pinnacle of Terra Sancta’s pinot noir program. As a single vineyard wine, from some of the most unique terroir in the world, it transmutes outstanding character and complexity with power and poise. Full-bodied, svelte, and intriguing, Slapjack is made to cellar gracefully but will drink beautifully at any age. Terra Sancta’s philosophy is to question everything. They master tried and true methodologies while challenging convention, and always striving for better. While pinot noir is the heart of their portfolio, Terra Sancta also produces fine regional examples of chardonnay, pinot gris, and riesling.

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.