Deep and ripe Pinot Noir from a selection of five vineyards in Waipara. Great concentration and oodles of fruit. 

About the winery...

"The company takes its name from an early Canterbury resident, surveyor and farmer, Englishman Charles Torlesse. He gave his name to the Torlesse mountain range which part circles the Canterbury Plains and was at one time the largest land owner and farmer in North Canterbury and founder of the nearby town of Rangiora. Interestingly, the name Torlesse is given to the underlying bedrock from which most New Zealand soils are derived – Torlesse, the terroir of New Zealand!



Our winery first started its life as a farm woolshed. In 1987 it was converted into a winery for Glenmark Wines by John McCaskey and Torlesse Wines moved to Waipara in 1991 and still share the production facilities. Many additions have made the winery self-sufficient in all aspects of winemaking from crushing to bottling, a claim that some wineries can not make."

Top value from North Canterbury, one of the great Pinot Noir regions of New Zealand thanks to its dry hot summers and long autumns, which allow the flavour development of ripe black cherry aromas and deep earthy notes, which make this incredibly affordable Pinot so inspiring. 

• 5 Stars & 93/100 (Candice Chow),  92/100 (Cam Douglas MS)
• An elegant, dry style with just a kiss of sweetness
• Overseeing the Otu winery team is Jeff Clarke - ex-Penfolds, Montana & Church Road winemaker
• Jeff is a two time International Winemaker of the Year winner and rated as one of the top six winemakers globally by UK journo Tim Atkin MW!
• A fragrant floral palate of rose bud, sweet strawberries and ripe raspberry, is offset by a hint of citrus acidity. Crisp and fullbodied with luscious red berry and pomegranate notes, this wine showcases the delicate fruit subtlety of Marlborough, Awatere Valley Pinot Noir, with outstanding balance and a beautifully dry finish. Suitable for vegans & vegetarians

Whitehaven Wines began life in 1994 as a romantic business for a couple of corporate escapees, Sue and Greg White, who had given up life in the rat race of Auckland for another kind of life aboard their yacht. When sailing around the country, they took shelter in the Marlborough Sounds from Pacific storms and fell in love with the region. An easy thing to do when harbouring in the spectacularly pristine waters of the Sounds. They decided to settle there on terra firma once more and try their hands at wine production, hiring a winemaker and beginning a business which has now been around for 26 years. Greg has sadly passed away now, leaving a legacy as well as his wife and daughter, Sam, to run the winery. Their winemaker is Peter Jackson.

Commercial Description

This Pinot Noir is from our Ballochdale Vineyard, high in the Awatere Valley, Marlborough. This is the first wine Sir George made from this vineyard he acquired in 2023. The vineyard sits at 300m high and is one of the highest and most southerly vineyards in the Awatere Valley, Marlborough.

As soon as we released this wine, it was loved by all. It truly is a gorgeous example of a perfectly crafted Marlborough Pinot Noir. We are so proud to share it with you.

Vine Meets Bine - Pinot Noir 2023 [6.6% ABV]
For this beer we were able to get hold of some freshly pressed
whole cluster pinot noir grapes from A Thousand Gods Wines that
had undergone a process of carbonic maceration. We placed the
grape pomace into some fermenters and looked through the barrel
cellar to find a complimentary barrel. We found a 3 year old ex
Rose barrel filled with a mixed ferment blonde sour beer that had
plenty of rich oak notes and some gentle acidity and funkiness. We
transferred the beer on top of the grape skins and let it age for
a few more months before bottling.