A superb lightly oaked Wairarapa Pinot Noir offering all the depth, complexity, structure and wind chiselled savouriness you'd expect.

The nose brims over with red fruit and spice; juicy plum, red currant, autumn mushrooms and dried cardamom.  The palate is weighty but soft and reveals itself over time.

Pinot Noir makes up over 80% of Central Otago's vineyards and it suits this cool climate because it is one of the earliest ripening red grapes in winemaking and can be harvested before the region's frosty winters set in. Roaring Meg is one of Central Otago's most popular wines and is named, cheekily, after a lady of the night during the infamous gold rush days in this southern region, in the 1800s. 

It's a light bodied, fresh and smooth red wine with notes of spice and cedar; made for drinking early in its life rather than aging.

A unique parcel within Rippon, Emma’s Block faces eastward on the lakefront where ancient clay reefs run laterally through fine schist gravels. Emma’s Block is named after the great-great-great grandmother of the current generation of the Mills family, through whom the name entered into the family.

Cellaring is recommended. This wine will age gracefully for 10+ years.

Akitu A2 Pinot Noir is an approachable and complex Pinot Noir made from three different Pinot clones which receive 35% whole bunch fermentation and a modest 7% new French oak in the maturation process. This makes for a smooth but subtle softness in a lush Pinot, which Akitu owner Andrew Donaldson suggests matching with Peking duck pancakes. Hear hear. Any duck would flatter this wine’s lush flavours, for that matter. Volumes: 1096 cases were produced and the wine was bottled on 19 March 2020.

The home of Akitu 

Andrew Donaldson planted his vineyard with 100% Pinot Noir in 2002 and has since developed three distinctive styles of wine from this great red grape variety. Two reds (Akitu A 1 and Akitu A2) lead the production while a Pinot Blanc is now part of the high quality stable of wines from this producer. 

Donaldson employs winemaker P J Charteris to make the wines. 

At Mt Barker, in New Zealand's South Island, in a high glacial valley of sunshine and rain shadow on the edge of the earth, each season leave its own vivid imprint on our vintage.  Extreme temperature variations, alpine air, altitude, adversity... all the wild elements of this exhilarating land combine in a Pinot Noir of great quality from the world's southernmost wine region.

Holly is a gorgeous dark fruit expression of Pinot Noir made from a blend of grapes grown on top quality vineyard blocks at Matahiwi Estate in the northern Wairarapa. This vintage was a warm, dry one, which produced high quality grapes, which result in this beautifully balanced, full bodied, spicy and dark fruited Pinot Noir. Hand picked grapes and meticulous attention in the vineyard create great raw material which translates into a silky, gorgeous Wairarapa Pinot Noir to drink now. 

Crater Rim is a small and high quality winery in the Waipara Valley in the heart of North Canterbury and this is a lovely earthy expression of Pinot Noir from this wine region. 

Savoury layers of smoked mushrooms and bright red cherry flavours combine in this lively red. Drinks well now and can improve for the next two to three years. 

Full bodied, full of flavour and full of integrity, Clayvin Pinot Noir is made from one of New Zealand's most outstanding vineyard sites, planted in 1993 by Mike Eaton and now owned by the Giesen Group. All grapes in this wine were hand picked, fermented with wild yeasts and the wine was aged in French oak. It is a complex dark Pinot Noir with weight and structure to improve for seven to eight years, potentially longer, evolving into a wine with even more depth of flavour. 

The Clayvin vineyard was planted in 1993 in Blenheim's highly regarded Southern Valleys, becoming the area's first hillside vineyard. It has since become fully certified organic and is being progressively farmed as a biodynamic site - next level to organic certification. It is now owned by Giesen Wines and is home to three grape varieties; predominantly Pinot Noir with smaller amounts of Chardonnay.

This wine is firm, full bodied and full of fruit character with black cherries and spice leading the flavour notes here. This great southern red from winemaker Malcolm Rees-Francis at Rockburn in Central Otago. Five clones of Pinot Noir (10/5, 5, 6, Abel, 115 and 777) were harvested from two sub regions of Otago; Gibbston and Parkburn then fermented in large open tonne fermenters with the finished wine spending 10 months in French oak, 33% new. 

Provenance is the name of the top Pinot Noir from Big Sky, one of the most spectacularly beautiful wineries in Martinborough. This wine is a stunning expression of New Zealand Pinot Noir at its best; savoury, full bodied and over flowing with gorgeous ripe dark fruit flavours underpinned by firm tannins giving the wine structure and a commanding presence in the glass. 

This is a wine to drink now and cellar into the future. 

The Big Sky story

Jeremy Corban and Katherine Jacobs founded Big Sky Wines in the Te Muna Valley, Martinborough, in 2005. They have since expanded their small vineyard, which is predominantly planted in Pinot Noir and also has a little Sauvignon Blanc, which they give extra textural complexity to with a little time in old oak on lees. 

From Jules Taylor...

Pinot Noir is the rising star of Marlborough and the variety that most expresses the differences from season to season. Grown on the southern hills in clay soils, this Pinot is well rounded with oh-so juicy flavours of cherry and black Doris plum. The wild fermentation along with extended lees maturation have added complexity and texture to the dark fruits and the finish is dry with a nice touch of dark chocolate and spice.

Beautiful Chaos Pinot Noir embodies a minimalist, mindful way of winemaking. Luscious biodynamic Pinot Noir grapes have been fermented in a small clay amphora pot. The result is an incredibly ethereal and silky expression of Pinot Noir, that is supported by layers of lush red fruits. The wine has been bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Certified organic and biodynamically grown
Suitable for vegetarians and vegans
No dairy products or eggs used during production

Luscious, deep-fruit aromas of red cherries and raspberries rise from the glass. The palate is crisply layered and mouth filling with fine tannins. Ripe red fruit obtains complexity from hints of spicy characters, tea leaf and earth. The texture has sophistication and elegance, being sumptuous and refreshing at the same time.

Commercial description

Terroir in a glass – very site specific, sophisticated and unique. On the nose, blackberries, spice, violets and wild herb aromatics. Medium bodied with an interesting mix of red fruits and savoury notes. A complex, high energy wine, perfect to enjoy today or to patiently cellar.

Our flagship Pinot Noir, sourced primarily from our southern block. It carries the name of Surveyor – John Turnbull Thomson linking both the land and its fruits to the vineyard owners, PM and David Hall-Jones family heritage.

35% whole bunch and 18% new oak.

Viticulture 

Grapes sourced from our own Fromm Vineyard (5.1%), from Churton Vineyard in the Waihopai Valley (18.8%) and from two sites in the Brancott Valley, Yarrum (25.4%) and Wrekin (50.7%). No herbicides, pesticides or systemic fungicides used. Only approved natural fertiliser applied. All vineyards certified organic (BioGro).  

Winemaking 

Hand-picked between March 16th and 31st. 100% destemmed while retaining a high portion of whole berries. Selected parcels from each vineyard were individually fermented on “wild” yeast and vinified into single vineyard wines, providing the blending components for this Cuvée. Average time on skins between 14 and 28 days. Matured for approximately 14 to 18 months in French oak barrels (less than 10% new). 

Wine facts

Grape variety  Pinot Noir

Bottled   March 2022 under cork at FROMM Winery

Labelled and packed at FROMM Winery

Production  7044 bottles and 18 magnums

Cellaring potential 2036

Winemaker  Hätsch Kalberer

Store   10° – 14° Enjoy   16° – 18° 

Wine analysis  Alcohol   13.5%

Total acidity  4.6 g/l pH   3.63

Residual sugar  less than 1 g/l 

Winemaker’s comments - Dense, deep red colour. The nose is concentrated yet fragrant with dark fruit aromas, complex, focused and very expressive. On the palate again concentration without being heavy. An elegant Pinot Noir with beautiful transparency, excellent structure and tension and very fine tannin support in the finish, reflecting one of our most exciting vintages since 2010. 

Food match - Beautiful with venison, wild game, beef, lamb, vegetarian dishes, cheese and charcuterie, chocolate, raspberries and strawberries.

This Black Estate Home Pinot Noir was grown on the Home Vineyard located in North Canterbury on a north facing sedimentary clay fan on a gentle hill side slope.

Deep ruby in the glass with perfumed, alluring open and fresh berry fruits, earth, custard and sandalwood on the nose. Supple sensual fruit on the palate with supporting tannin. offering a soft, structural, crisp and mineral experience. Drink now to 2025.