Top 10 Pinot Noir 2025
Pinot Noir Day (August 18) is almost here, and I’m thrilled to celebrate by announcing my Top 10 NZ Pinot Noirs of 2025! These exceptional wines have been selected from the highest-scoring bottles I’ve reviewed over the last 12 months that are currently available. They all scored 95 points or above, representing the pinnacle of New Zealand’s winemaking.
Known for being a challenging grape to grow, Pinot Noir thrives in the unique climate and terroir of New Zealand’s lower regions, making waves on the international stage. Recent statistics show interesting shifts in the industry. While the total planting area saw a slight decrease to 5,613 ha in 2025, regions like Central Otago are continuing to grow, increasing their footprint by 109 ha to 1,765 ha. This expansion highlights the region’s ideal conditions for this expressive grape. Marlborough leads 2,491 ha (242 ha less than 2023) of planting, followed by Central Otago with 1,765 ha, 517 ha in Wairarapa, 411 ha in North Canterbury, 221 ha in Hawke’s Bay, 157 ha in Nelson, 28 ha in Gisborne, 20 ha in Waitaki Valley, and 3 ha in Auckland and less than 1 ha in the Northland.
NZ Pinot Noir is renowned for its generous fruit character and rich colour. These wines are typically medium to medium-full bodied, with 13-14% of alcohol, presenting a vibrant spectrum of primary aromas that include raspberry, strawberry, cherry, blackberry, and plum. Notes of thyme, cinnamon, and nutmeg enhance aromatic complexity. Winemakers often use whole bunch fermentation to introduce delicate floral, cinnamon and tea-like fragrances. Specific vineyard sites or extended maturation can also contribute distinctive floral, mineral, earthy, and forest floor expressions. Hands-on techniques characterise the winemaking process. Fermentation commonly occurs in open-top fermenters with indigenous yeasts. Daily pump-overs or punch-downs are performed, followed by a post-fermentation maceration period of 7-28 days. The wine is then racked into seasoned French oak barrels for maturation, with 25%-40% new oak being a standard practice; however, I see slightly lower percentages in recent years. With ideal cellaring conditions, these wines have excellent ageing potential, often developing beautifully over 10-15+ years.
Join Me to Taste the Top 10!
Want to experience these incredible wines with me? I’m hosting exclusive tasting events where you can sample the full Top 10 lineup.
- Queenstown: September 18 Get Tickets
- Wellington: September 24 Tickets Now
- Auckland: October 4 Don’t miss out
Seats are strictly limited, so get your tickets now to secure your spot and avoid disappointment!
The Top 10 Pinot Noir of 2025
I’m proud to present the list in no particular order.
Coal Pit Tiwha Pinot Noir 2022, Central Otago
This Pinot Noir is handpicked from their home vineyard in Gibbston, 100% wild fermentation with 20% whole bunch, aged 10 months in barrels, 30% new oak.
Winemaker Anika Willner joined the team in 2018, with experience working in Oregon, Australia, Germany, South Africa, Burgundy and New Zealand. Anika’s passion for Pinot Noir led her to Central Otago. Anika has been a driving force in Coal Pit’s transition to organic production, and Coal Pit’s onsite winery achieved full organic certification under BioGro in 2023.
- Read the full review here
- Shop Coal Pit Wines
Q Wine Pinot Noir 2023, Waitaki Valley
Crafted by the talented Antony Worch of Alexandra Vintners, this wine showcases the incredible potential of the Waitaki Valley. Antony uses a mix of 30% new and seasoned oak to create a Pinot Noir with wonderful depth and a silky smooth finish.
Hawkshead Reserve Pinot Noir 2023, Central Otago
This vintage’s Hawkshead’s flagship Pinot Noir is from Gibbston and Lowburn sub-regions, with 50% Abel clone and equal parts of 114, 667, UCD5 and 115 clones. Indigenous yeasts fermentation, aged in French oak barriques for 10 months, 26.5 % new oak. Made by Dean Sahw.
Made by Dean Shaw, the wine is a powerful and elegant blend from Gibbston and Lowburn. Every bottle has a beautiful story, honouring Denis Marshall, the founder’s passion for conservation and showcasing Swainson’s stunning bird illustrations on the label.
- Read the full review here
- Shop Hawkshead Wines
Blue Earth Pinot Noir 2020, Martinborough
Fruit was handpicked over two passes, destemmed and fermented in 3-tonne open-top tanks. 18 days on skins and punched down by hand before pressed to French oak, aged for 11 months, 11% new oak.
This wine is a testament to the dedication of Margaret and Mike Hanson. From their unique vineyard on an old river terrace, with stony soils and a gentle north-facing slope, they produce high-quality, low-yielding Pinot Noir that is a pure expression of its home. Formerly known as The Elder Pinot, this is a must-try for any Pinot Noir enthusiast.
- Read the full review here
- Shop Blue Earth Wines
Monte Christo Winery Pisa Pinot Noir 2023, Central Otago
The fruit of this Pinot Noir is 100% from Catherine’s Vineyard in the Pisa subregion, clones Able and 777. Five days cold soaked with 27% whole bunches, wild yeasts fermented, aged 10 months in French barrels, 25% new oak. 95 cases produced.
The Paris family’s serendipitous discovery of this historic Central Otago winery, originally established in 1864, is a story you have to hear. Now, they’re carrying on the legacy of French pioneer Jean Désiré Féraud, creating exceptional wines that reflect the true taste of the region.
Pegasus Bay Prima Donna Pinot Noir 2020, North Canterbury
A reserve wine, only produced in exceptional vintages, a selection of the best barrels. Fermented with 40% whole bunches approx, the rest destemmed, cold soaked for a week and fermented naturally to 13% alc, post-ferment maceration for up to a week, aged in French oak barriques for 14 months, 40% new oak.
The Donaldson family, who have been at the forefront of Canterbury winemaking since the 1970s. This is a family affair, with every member playing a crucial role from the vineyard to the cellar door. Consistently incredible wines that showcase their dedication to both tradition and quality.
- Read the full review here
- Shop Pegasus Bay Wines
La Bella Rosa Pinot Noir 2023, Central Otago
Fruit is grown exclusively from Mt Rosa Lodge, 100% clone 777. Sitting at 482m above sea level, one of the highest sites in Central Otago. Aged 10 months in French oak barrels, 22% new oak.
After years of living and working abroad, Michelle and Stuart acquired this small, unique vineyard as a way to put down roots. The first vintage was released in 2008, a true labour of love that you can taste in every glass.
This exceptional wine is crafted on a tiny scale by the legends Alan Brady and Brian Shaw of Wild Irishman, with only 4-5 barrels produced each year.
- Read the full review here
- Shop La Bella Rosa Wines
Folding Hill Orchard Block Pinot Noir 2022, Central Otago
Fruit from their 4-hectare site on Bendigo Loop Rd, clone UCD5, planted in 2003. BioGro organic certified since 2022. Destemmed fruit, indigenous yeasts fermentation, 14 days on skins, aged 18 months in barrels, 30% new oak. 80 cases produced.
This Central Otago gem is a family affair, established in 2003 by Tim and Nikki Kerruish. The name “Folding Hill” was inspired by a child’s innocent question about the beautiful Pisa range at dusk, and that sense of family and place is in every bottle. With stunning views, meticulously tended organic vines, and a low-intervention winemaking philosophy, this wine is a pure expression of its special home.
- Read the full review here
- Shop Folding Hill Wines
Clos Ostler EOS Pinot Noir 2022, Waitaki Valley
Handpicked from the Waitaki Valley, clones 667 and 777 predominant. Aged 11 months in barrels, 42% new oak.
This wine’s story began 38 million years ago with the ancient limestone seabed of the Waitaki Valley. This unique terroir, combined with a traditional, minimal-intervention winemaking approach, allows for a wine that shows a sense of its environment.
- Read the full review here
- Shop Clos Ostler Wines
Rockburn Seven Barrels Gibbston Pinot Noir 2023, Central Otago
Fruit from Dick Bunton Vineyard in the Gibbston sub-region, clone 6, fermented in 7-tonne fermenter, 8 days cold soaked, fermented over a week, then 10 days post-ferment maceration, aged 14 months in French oak, 28% new oak.
This wine is a tribute to the legacy of Richard “Dick” Bunton, a pioneer of the Central Otago wine industry. Founded from a small hobby vineyard in 1991, Rockburn Wines has grown to become a benchmark for the region. The Seven Barrels selection represents the very best of their Gibbston vineyard, a site that has been renamed in Richard’s honour.
- Read the full review here
- Shop Rockburn Wines
