Tesco, Finest Pinot Noir, 2022, Central Otago, New Zealand
I think Tesco struck gold with their Finest Pinot Noir from Central Otago, New Zealand. This is a real treat. Dry and light it has plenty of subtle red fruit that dances on the palette. It’s got grace and style and although Decanter only gave it 91 points it’s a gold from me.
At £14 a bottle for such quality it’s great value. It stood up to steak very well but was excellent too on its own.
Aurora Creek, Rock Ferry, Pinot Noir, 2021, Marlborough, New Zealand
Aurora Creek, Pinot Noir from Marlborough, New Zealand is good example of where New Zealand Pinot Noir is at the moment. Dry with light tannins, flavours of cherry, redcurrant with a little oak and earthy note poking through. It has good length but it’s £22 a bottle which for me is far to expensive.
Bald Hills, Single Vineyard, Pinot Noir, 2015, Central Otago, New Zealand
New Zealand Pinot Noir is some of the best in the world and this one from Bald Hills really shows class. Refreshing, light, red wine that’s very smooth and dry with lots of cherry and raspberry flavours with hints of strawberry. There’s some oak and chocolate and vanilla in there and earthiness which is refreshing, not overpowering and shows subtlety.
Sure it’s £25 a bottle but it’s worth it.
Amisfield, Breakneck, Pinot Noir, 2017, Central Otago, New Zealand
Another excellent Pinot Noir from New Zealand this ‘Breakneck’ from Amisfield is dry, smooth, with firm but well integrated tannins that makes this a joy to drink. Plenty of flavour with red cherry at the front and hints of oak, a subtle earthiness and all with long length.
Sure at £60 a bottle it’s not cheap but then again quality like this is often expensive. It’s a shame as many people won’t get to try it.
Thomas Brothers, Greystone, Pinot Noir, 2015, Waipara, New Zealand
Quite wonderful is how I would describe this Pinot Noir from the Thomas Brothers. Read the below if you want but this is the Pinot to get for special occasions, at £50 a bottle it’s not cheap. There’s flawless integration of tannins, red fruit, oak, with hints of chocolate and leather. There’s a smoothness to this dry red wine where nothing is out of place and a desire just to sip and enjoy.
It only got a bronze at the Decanter World Wine Awards which I think is more down to price than quality. I loved this wine.
Amisfield, Pinot Noir, Central Otago, 2014, New Zealand
New Zealand Pinot Noir has a very good reputation and this 2014 from Amisfield shows why. There’s plenty of red and black fruit aromas and flavours with cherry being dominant but there are notes of chocolate, leather, coffee and an under lying earthiness to it all. Dry, smooth and quite light this is great on its own or with food, we had it with turkey and thought it paired very well.at £40 a bottle it’s not cheap.
Anthony Joseph Vidal can make wine, good wine but at £30 a bottle it needs to be really good.
This Legacy, Syrah from the Hawks Bay area has some fine qualities. There are aromas of plum and raspberry with notes of spice, for the flavours get more darker fruits Oak and some very fine tannings which are slightly out of balance with the fruit flavour. On the plus side I got no hangover after having an entire bottle of this wine one evening, which shows this is pretty good, it’s just not £10 good.
Anthony Joseph Vidal, Legacy, Syrah, 2014, New Zealand
There’s lots of New Zealand Pinot Noir out there, some cheap and some expensive and this Crossroads, Milestone Series is a cheaper one, under £10 a bottle. It dry, pretty smooth, light with aromas of redcurrant, tobacco hints that are followed by flavours of strawberries and hints of plum and vanilla.
It’s what you would have mid week or as a second bottle at an evening dinner party. It’s nice but not excellent.
Crossroads, Milestone Series, Pinot Noir, 2016, New Zealand
New Zealand has knack of doing SOME great Sauvignon Blanc and great Pinot Noir, but whats this “Falcon” Pinot Noir from Lake Chalice like?
Its light, dry and pretty smooth. You get aromas of cranberry and strawberry with redcurrant and vanilla. These feed into the taste with a little plum and cherry adding to it. All light and subtle with a beautiful smoothness that makes you want to savour this wine rather than gulp it. Its not that expensive at £15 a bottle, at the lower end of New Zealand pinot Noir and very good value.
Lake Chalice, Falcon, Pinot Noir, 2016, New Zealand
This Paddy Borthwick Pinot Noir is from Wairarapa on the south part of the north island of New Zealand. Light, smooth, dry and fabulous is how I can best describe this wine.
There are aromas of leather, cherry, redcurrant and strawberry with a oaky earthy notes in there. There are additional flavours of mushroom, plum, tobacco which are all in balance with each other, nothing too much poking through. This is a very enjoyable and very drinkable wine, recommend all year round with or without food. Cracking.
At £18 a bottle its good value for an excellent New Zealand Pinot Noir.
Paddy Borthwick, Pinot Noir, 2014, New Zealand