Tasting Note 

Red cherry, plum and a hint of dried herbs open the nose in a delightfully fragrant manner. The aromatics deftly define the knife edge ripeness that’s critical for great Pinot Noir; dialled in with ease in the exceptional 2024 vintage. Cardamom, mace and cranberry make an appearance, followed by a finely poised mouthfeel. The silky tannins are luscious and sweet, providing backbone and length. A typically expressive Cornish Point.

Introduction

Commencing with meticulous site selection and vineyard design in 1991, Felton Road's story is one of refusal to compromise. A strict 100% estate policy with fully organic and biodynamic viticulture (BioGro and Demeter certified) ensures that our fruit arrives at the winery as pure as it can be, while our entire estate comes as close to true sustainability as is possible. The winery is also B Corp certified and a proud member of IWCA (International Wineries for Climate Action). A commitment to hands off winemaking: gravity flow, wild yeasts, wild malo, an avoidance of fining and filtration all help preserve the wine's expression of its terroir. The result is Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir which accurately express the authenticity and complexity of our unique vineyards.  Gareth King; Viticulturist, Blair Walter; Winemaker, Nigel Greening; Vigneron. 

Vineyard & Viticulture 

Felton Road farms four properties totalling 34 ha in the Bannockburn subregion of Central Otago. This wine is from Cornish Point vineyard where the close proximity to Lake Dunstan (surrounded on three sides) creates a unique mesoclimate. Fine loess and silt soils overlie alluvial gravels interspersed with calcareous seams. Meticulous summer management of a single vertical shoot positioned (VSP) canopy ensures even and early fruit maturity. Shoot thinning, shoot positioning, leaf plucking, bunch thinning and harvest are all carried out by hand to ensure optimum quality fruit. Cover crops are planted between rows to assist in vine balance and to improve soil health and general biodiversity. 

Vintage 

After a wet September, spring commenced with good soil moisture and bud burst occurred at the normal time of early October. Temperatures hovered around average with December being warm and dry, enabling a successful flowering and fruit set. The dry conditions prevailed throughout January and February limiting berry size and setting the scene for fruit with elevated phenolic material and complexity. Judicious use of irrigation was required to maintain sufficient vine health throughout this sustained dry period. Temperatures never spiked and hovered around average enabling a slow and steady path to maturity. A distinctive feature of March 2024 was the cool night temperatures preserving acidity, freshness and precision of fruit character. Pinot Noir was harvested from 19 March to 9 April. 

Vinification  The unique gravity flow winery enabled the grapes to be gently destemmed directly into open-top fermenters without pumping, with 25% retained as whole clusters. Traditional fermentation with a moderately long maceration on skins has extracted good colour and tannin with considerable depth of flavour. This wine was aged for 13 months in 20% new French oak barrels from artisan Burgundian coopers. In accordance with our noninterventionalist approach to winemaking, this wine was fermented with indigenous yeast and malolactic, and was not fined or filtered.

This wine is one of the country's best Pinot Noirs, having won an extremely long string of awards and accolades over the decades, which both winemakers, Clive Paton and Helen Masters, attribute to, among other things, 40% of the wine being made from the Abel clone of Pinot Noir. This clone was famously (true story) brought in via a gumboot from a grand cru vineyard in Burgundy, France; the traditional classic home to the Pinot grape.

Abel brings structure and intensity to Pinot Noir, as does the climate in the Wairarapa, which heavily reduces potential yields at flowering time in spring, resulting in smaller bunch architecture and more intense flavours as a direct result. 

This wine drinks well now and undoubtedly has a long life ahead for those with wine cellars - and willpower.

A New Zealand classic - for good reason.

The name Ata Rangi is Maori for dawn sky and was chosen to portray the new beginning that the start of this winery represented for founder Clive Paton in the late 1970s.

From Quartz Reef’s Bendigo Estate vineyard which is BioGro certified organic and Demeter certified biodynamic. Deep ruby-red in colour exhibiting spiced wild berries. Opulent and rich on the palate with notes of dark cherry, blackberry and liquorice. Silky tannins with a muscular structure and impressive length.

From the winery...

Our low-vigour, stony, clay-rich soil, cool maritime mesoclimate, naturally tiny yields of well under 35 hl/ha and our philosophy of expressing our terroir in our wines ? give rise to a certain tightness, tannin line and elevated length to balance the richness and generosity of our Pinot noir. Our Pinot noir is not overtly fruity, soft and "sweet" and it generally shows hints of that alluring savoury "primal" character along with a dark, spicy, complex primary fruit perfume.  

Soil Low-vigour, stony, clay-rich, shale-derived soil

Alcohol 13.46% Acid 5.50 g/l pH 3.48 Residual Sugar 2.30 g/l

Barrel Ageing 10 months

Oak 100% 228 litre French Oak Barrels Tight Grain 100%

1st fill 35% 2nd fill 47% 3rd fill 18%

Blonde Toast 31% Medium Toast 14% Medium Long Toast 55%

French Coopers: Francois Freres 100%

Hamilton Russell is the top winery of the Walker Bay region of South Africa. They are one of the southernmost wine estates in South Africa and are incredibly close to the sea. It is this cooling maritime influence, which helps to cool down their vineyards and enable their grapes to retain acidity, which provides freshness in the resulting wines. It was founded in 1975 by Tim Hamilton Russell who set up the property in the search of making South Africa's top cool-climate wines. It has since been taken over by his son Anthony and his wife Olive. They are now making highly individual, terroir-driven Pinot noir and Chardonnay, which are widely regarded as with the best in South Africa and among the finest in the New World.

Fruit from an established vineyard, grown on the famous alluvial terrace - a quintessentially Martinborough Pinot Noir, with classic savoury characters, lifted spice and supple tannin.

Winemaker's notes

The Kiwa vineyard, in the township of Martinborough is one of the mature plots planted in the district. A combination of deep alluvial gravels for which the Martinborough Terraces are renowned. A combination of Clones UCD 5 and 6 rewards us with a complex and spicy wine.  The fruit was destemmed to an open top fermenter with the inclusion of some whole bunch. It was fermented using indigenous yeast and hand plunged just once a day for soft extraction, with a total vat time of 25 days. After pressing it was matured in 35% new French oak barriques for 20 months. Bottled without fining or filtration, promoting textured mouth feel and balanced fruit complexities.

Tasting

The Kiwa vineyard tends to exhibit complex savoury notes, of bay laurel, green tea and Chinese five spice. These are underpinned by an array of red fruits such as raspberry, sour red cherry and red currant, that sit amidst lifted and floral perfumed notes. The savoury complexity continues through the palate, with a wine that offers both grace and presence. It is bright and expressive with incredible buoyancy, thanks to the taut focus and firm tannins. This helps to tighten the structure giving one confidence to cellar for at least 10 years. Serve at 16°C and match with any game food.

From an exceptional single site on Te Muna Road, the estate grown Pahi Vineyard is an individual site selection Pinot Noir sourced from designated rows on the famed Martinborough Terrace.

94 Points – James Suckling review

So floral, with cranberry and orange peel aromas that follow through to a medium body with sliced orange and peach flavours. Crunchy and delicious. So fresh and yummy. Some whole bunch fermentation.

94 Points Huon Hooke, The Real Review

Medium-full red with purple rim and reserved, shy aromas in the earthy/forest undergrowth and walnut spectrum. A patina of smoky oak too. The wine is rich and full in the mouth, with volume and amplitude. A deep and fleshy wine with loads of extract to match the intense flavours and big structure. Long, long finish. Serious pinot: long-term potential but also really appealing right now. It could cope with heartier meat dishes.

95 Points Cameron Douglas MS

This wine delivers complexity, a sense of site and vintage as well as complexity and power. Aromas and flavours of spiced berries, plum and barrel;  polished tannins and acidity framing the texture of this wine with flavours of plum and red berries, cherry and rose that follow. There’s a fine chalk dust residue on the finish that delivers more mouthfeel and carries extra flavour. A delicious wine. I enjoyed a glass of this with a smoke salmon and red beet risotto with lashing of parmesan cheese - a wonderful match. Best from late 2027 through 2034.

"Pahi has a long track record and is arguably the most impressive Pinot Noir in the Escarpment stable today." Joelle Thomson, 2023

Premium classic Pinot Noir Rose in classic packaging

Dry, lightly coloured, refreshing, balanced, delicate and everything else you want in a rose.

Yes  - it is wine with a tap. it's really good wine, yes again. We have sourced the very newest packaging that allows us to put this high end wine in a cylinder, allows you to have a glass when you want with nothing to worry about including not finishing the bottle. Finally premium wine with convienence.

New tech delivers no wastage, fresh with every glass, lasts up to a month, fully recyclable, and less than half the carbon footprint of the same wine in bottles. Times are a changing so get with a new programme - BigTed

Grapes from our Estate vineyards.
100% organic, vegan friendly and you can travel with this wee beauty, pop a small chiller pad in the top to keep it cool

Artwork by Callum Robertson

2 litres - 2.67 bottles.

TED  - redefining wine culture

The inaugural Valli Pisa Pinot Noir comes from Highgrange Vineyard, an elevated site on Mt. Pisa. The nose is immediately seductive with aromas of damson plum, dark cherry, red pear, and ripe raspberry, complemented by savoury notes of wild sage and cedar, with a wisp of white blossom. The palate is silky and rich with wonderful layers of red fruit and spice woven together by an abundance of fine tannin and bright acidity.

The wine is assertive yet playful and will continue to develop for well over adecade.

100% handpicked and 28% whole bunch.

Aged for 11 months in 20% new oak.

Valli Bannockburn Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on the Hall Vineyard, which was planted in 2000 in Bannockburn at 350 metres above sea level. This area has a semi continental climate. It is planted with six different clones of Pinot Noir: 777, 115, 10/5, UCD5, 113 and 13. The soils here are wind blown loess over schist bedrock. They are deep, moderately sandy and free draining. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Valli Wines was founded by Central Otago winemaker Grant Taylor in 1998 and has since become one of the most collectible Pinot Noir brands in New Zealand with four distinctly different Pinot Noirs made every year from four key sub regions in Central Otago. Grant is the only winemaker producing a consistently diverse range of wines every vintage with each wine made the same way so that the wines each express the climate and soil variations in the areas from which they come from.

The four Valli Pinot Noirs

The four sub regions that winemaker Grant Taylor makes Pinot Noir from each year encompass widely varying landscapes, soil types and climates from the maritime influenced weather in the Waitaki Valley Vineyard on the ironically named Grant's Road; a site that Grant Taylor owns, through to the semi continental climates of Gibbston, Bannockburn and Bendigo. 

Bendigo

Valli Bendigo Pinot Noir is made from grapes grown on the Chinaman's Terrace Vineyard in Bendigo, Central Otago. This elevated vineyard was planted in 2005 between 314 metres and 374 metres above sea level with five different Pinot Noir clones; Abel, 115, UCD5, 667 and 777. The soils are shallow sandy loams with a high clay content and also include a small lower section with gravel soils.  Bendigo has a semi continental, arid climate. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Bannockburn

Valli Bannockburn Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on the Hall Vineyard, which was planted in 2000 in Bannockburn at 350 metres above sea level. This area has a semi continental climate. It is planted with six different clones of Pinot Noir; namely, 777, 115, 10/5, UCD5, 113 and 13. The soils here are wind blown loess over schist bedrock. They are deep, moderately sandy and free draining. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Gibbston Valley

Valli Gibbston Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on the Gibbston Highway, which were planted between 1999 and 2000 at between 343 and 351 metres above sea level. The Pinot Noir clones on this site are 777, 115, UCD5 and 114. Soils are alluvial loess which ranges from 0.5 to 1 metre deep over firm river gravels.

Rainfall is lower here than in Bannockburn and Bendigo. The climate is considered semi continental. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Waitaki Valley

Valli Waitaki Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on Grant's Road in the Waitaki Valley, a maritime influenced climate planted between 2004 and 2005 at 200 metres above sea level on limestone based soils. River gravels also make up some of the soil type here and vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Savoury dried herbs and earthy notes lead into this impressively structured Pinot Noir from the Gibbston Valley, the last region typically to harvest its grapes each year in Central Otago. This cool climate is expressed in this wine in the high acidity and dried herb notes, which add depth and complexity to the weighty red plum notes and lovely full body. An impressive wine from a very good vintage and likely to shine in 10 years' time - if it lasts that long. 

Released and on the market now. Ageing time: potentially 10 to 11 years+.

The four Valli Pinot Noirs

The four sub regions that winemaker Grant Taylor makes Pinot Noir from each year encompass widely varying landscapes, soil types and climates from the maritime influenced weather in the Waitaki Valley Vineyard on the ironically named Grant's Road; a site that Grant Taylor owns, through to the semi continental climates of Gibbston, Bannockburn and Bendigo. 

Bendigo

Valli Bendigo Pinot Noir is made from grapes grown on the Chinaman's Terrace Vineyard in Bendigo, Central Otago. This elevated vineyard was planted in 2005 between 314 metres and 374 metres above sea level with five different Pinot Noir clones; Abel, 115, UCD5, 667 and 777. The soils are shallow sandy loams with a high clay content and also include a small lower section with gravel soils.  Bendigo has a semi continental, arid climate. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Bannockburn

Valli Bannockburn Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on the Hall Vineyard, which was planted in 2000 in Bannockburn at 350 metres above sea level. This area has a semi continental climate. It is planted with six different clones of Pinot Noir; namely, 777, 115, 10/5, UCD5, 113 and 13. The soils here are wind blown loess over schist bedrock. They are deep, moderately sandy and free draining. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Gibbston Valley

Valli Gibbston Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on the Gibbston Highway, which were planted between 1999 and 2000 at between 343 and 351 metres above sea level. The Pinot Noir clones on this site are 777, 115, UCD5 and 114. Soils are alluvial loess which ranges from 0.5 to 1 metre deep over firm river gravels.

Rainfall is lower here than in Bannockburn and Bendigo. The climate is considered semi continental. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Waitaki Valley

Valli Waitaki Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on Grant's Road in the Waitaki Valley, a maritime influenced climate planted between 2004 and 2005 at 200 metres above sea level on limestone based soils. River gravels also make up some of the soil type here and vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

'Deep ruby hue with inviting savoury, fruit and floral aromas including Portobello mushroom, dark Ghana chocolate, cedar, blackberry, *Bing cherry and lilac flower. The palate is also complex with layers of dark fruit, spice, and umami that are woven together by a fresh vein of acidity. The texture is vibrant and delectable with fine, firm tannins that build in the mouth giving a long, memorable finish. Playful with understated power, this quintessential Bendigo Pinot has a tangy freshness that comes from grapes grown at elevation. Intriguing and approachable in its youth, this wine should develop beautifully for 15+ years. (*Bing cherry originated in the Pacific Northwest in Milwaukie, Oregon, the town where I was raised.  This wine evokes many happy memories for me and I wish the same for you). ' 

Jen Parr - September 2023

The four Valli Pinot Noirs

The four sub regions that winemaker Grant Taylor makes Pinot Noir from each year encompass widely varying landscapes, soil types and climates from the maritime influenced weather in the Waitaki Valley Vineyard on the ironically named Grant's Road; a site that Grant Taylor owns, through to the semi continental climates of Gibbston, Bannockburn and Bendigo. 

Bendigo

Valli Bendigo Pinot Noir is made from grapes grown on the Chinaman's Terrace Vineyard in Bendigo, Central Otago. This elevated vineyard was planted in 2005 between 314 metres and 374 metres above sea level with five different Pinot Noir clones; Abel, 115, UCD5, 667 and 777. The soils are shallow sandy loams with a high clay content and also include a small lower section with gravel soils.  Bendigo has a semi continental, arid climate. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Bannockburn

Valli Bannockburn Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on the Hall Vineyard, which was planted in 2000 in Bannockburn at 350 metres above sea level. This area has a semi continental climate. It is planted with six different clones of Pinot Noir; namely, 777, 115, 10/5, UCD5, 113 and 13. The soils here are wind blown loess over schist bedrock. They are deep, moderately sandy and free draining. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Gibbston Valley

Valli Gibbston Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on the Gibbston Highway, which were planted between 1999 and 2000 at between 343 and 351 metres above sea level. The Pinot Noir clones on this site are 777, 115, UCD5 and 114. Soils are alluvial loess which ranges from 0.5 to 1 metre deep over firm river gravels.

Rainfall is lower here than in Bannockburn and Bendigo. The climate is considered semi continental. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Waitaki Valley

Valli Waitaki Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on Grant's Road in the Waitaki Valley, a maritime influenced climate planted between 2004 and 2005 at 200 metres above sea level on limestone based soils. River gravels also make up some of the soil type here and vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Dice is a New Zealand first - a wine with a vintage which is high quality, fun and funky in a 2-litre box, which puts a new spin on the well known theme of convenience because this wine is all about quality, no holds barred. A blend of Pinot Noir grapes from several vineyards in Bannockburn is used to create this superlative, deliciously good Pinot Noir with its bright bold cherries and ripe fruit flavours underpinned by a medium body and smooth texture in a wine with a long finish. 

This Pinot Noir highlights the distinctive character of New Zealand’s southernmost wine-growing region. Produced in limited quantities, it captures the essence of Alexandra’s dramatic climate, with lifted aromatics, bright acidity, and an elegant, finely woven structure.

Tasting Note: This Pinot Noir displays notes of strawberries, blackberries, red flowers and cinnamon spice. On the palate, it is elegant with very fine tannins.

95 Points - Cameron Douglas, MS
"Excellent" - Mark Henderson, Otago Daily Times
94 Points - Stephen Wong, MW
94 Points - Candice Chow

Established in 1864 by Jean Désiré Féraud, Monte Christo is the birthplace of Central Otago wine. Our wines are made with 100% estate-grown fruit sourced from our vineyards across three distinct sub-regions, the Alexandra Basin, Bannockburn and Pisa. Utilising sustainable farming practices and minimal intervention methods in the winery, the outcome is elegant, refined, and impeccably balanced wines epitomising the terroir of Central Otago.

Tasting note A highly seductive and luscious Pinot Noir balanced by bright acidity and firm and silky tannins, with dark cherry, plum, wild strawberry, intense violet and clove aromas.

VINEYARD

Vineyard: Catherine’s (100%) Subregion: Pisa Elevation: 240m Clone(s): Abel , 777 Soil: Waenga alluvial sandy silt gravels, loam texture, moderately stoney, derived from schist

WINEMAKING

Brix: 22.7 (avg.) Whole Cluster: 27% Total time on skins: 25 days (avg.), including a five-day cold soak Fermentation: Wild yeasts Aging: 10 months in 25% new French oak Cases Produced: 95

2024 ORATERRA PINOT NOIR 

SEASON BRIEF FOR 2024 The 2024 season was a contrast to 2023, coming with a sting - or in this case, a grand finale - at the end. It was a splendid season, and the general feeling is that 2024 will be remembered alongside 2013, 2001 and 1998 as an outstanding year. A cool and turbulent spring meant that the fruit set was reduced, and thus the potential yield at harvest was down too. However, summer conditions were nothing short of amazing, the sun was out in full force, with very little rainfall. The key to the success was our vineyard management this year by keeping ample shade and leaf cover to lower vineyard temperatures and conserve water. The extended warm and dry weather periods resulted in wines that have retained freshness with good generosity. 

TASTING NOTE Beautiful vintages like 2024 risk losing a certain hook, or friction, in the wine. By picking early we avoided this risk and were able to retain good acidity and a degree of disposition to provide interest in the wine. Dark and bright fruit are the antagonists, with Morello cherry cutting through the riper characters. This Pinot Noir goes beyond typical varietal qualities to offer an array of complex and inviting aromatics. The wine is rounded and softly cushioned, moving effortlessly over the palate, with soft tannins acting as chaperones and guiding the fruit toward each corner of the mouth. Ageing: Age for 10-15 years Enjoy at a temperature of 18°C-20°C 

WINEMAKING We harvest all our fruit by hand into small tubs. The fruit is sorted the following day, cold, fully destemmed into small ferment vessels. Natural fermentation occurs, with an occasional hand plunge to help keep the ferments happy and homogenous. At around 18 - 24 days in the fermenting vessel, we pressed the wines and transferred them to large format barrels, 300 & 500 litres, for 12-18 months. The wine is racked and blended into stainless steel tanks before bottling without fining or filtration. 

TECHNICAL INFORMATION Vineyard source(s): McCreanor Vineyard, 37 Princess Street & La Belle Vie Vineyard, 115 New York Street, Martinborough, NZ Harvest dates: 8-18 March 24 | Harvest Brix: 21.5 - 24 Brix Alcohol by Volume: 13% | pH 3.68 | TA: 5.2 g/l