The country may be famous for Sauvignon Blanc, but it also produces great reds.

There are Pinot Noirs and Pinot Noirs. There’s nothing whatsoever wrong with examples that perfectly express their local region but burgundy lovers may be seeking better-value closer alternatives to the prototype. Above, Rippon’s vineyard overlooking Lake Wānaka in Central Otago, New Zealand. A rather shorter version of this article is published by the Financial Times.

First stop on a recent road tour around some of New Zealand’s key winemaking regions is Central Otago where Santana Minerals’ goldmine is throwing a shadow over this beautiful wine region.

Once a year, an independent jury selects twelve outstanding Pinot Noirs from Central Otago — a cross-section of vintage and region. Falstaff has taken a closer look at the selection and presents the highlights of the Central Dozen 2023.

The Australia and New Zealand roadshow kicked off last week in London, travelled to Edinburgh and finishes off in Dublin on Tuesday. Over 1,000 wines from 250 wineries were shown with an incredible 38 winemakers pouring wines, despite the busy harvests back home.

While Marlborough Savvy B snagged our palates and ids with its sassy panache, Central Otago Pinot Noir is poised to capture our souls and brains with its cerebral elegance. In lieu of bikinis and sunshine, we have cashmere wraps, sunset views, a dog-eared copy of The Germinal. Cue the Nico soundtrack.

A selection of Central Otago Pinot Noir from 2023

The history of Pinot Noir in New Zealand is one of feast and famine, dominance and disaster.

It might surprise many to learn that Pinot Noir was, in fact, the dominant red grape variety in New Zealand from the 1880s through the early part of the 20th century. Of course, the wine industry at that time was tiny, little more than a cottage enterprise of farmers growing grapes alongside other crops and livestock.

As part of the Central Otago Spring Release event, the four wine writers present—Jane Skilton MW, John Saker, Dave Brookes and myself—were treated to a masterclass with four of the region’s pre-eminent winemakers.

Our New World specialist, Roger Jones, continues his tales from New Zealand. This time, he delves into the story of Central Otago, an area first brought to the UK's attention by the bold 'New World' Pinot Noir some 20 years ago. Today, the region not only produces Pinot Noir with poise and fresh, focused elegance but also magical white wines. On his recent visit to the region he met up with the key players, tasted some of the exciting new white wines and attended an outstanding celebration of wine and food called Roam.

There’s no holding back New Zealand pinot noir with some sensational wines in this tasting, says MARY-THÉRÈSE BLAIR.

One of the first things you’ll notice when you arrive to Otago on the South Island is The Remarkables—a towering saw-toothed mountain range along the edge of Lake Wakatipu that is one of few in the world that runs directly north to south. These dramatic peaks set a strong tone for a wine country getaway in Central Otago, which is prized for its award-winning wines. “Pinot Noir is by far the most well-known variety here,” Ilias Hamzaoui says, who is the restaurant & bar manager at Rosewood Matakauri.