Giesen own and operate many of New Zealand's eldest and noblest vineyards, having accumulated an inventory of the finest viticulture since establishment in 1981. A single block of vine at Wairau, defined by a mesoclime and terroir uncannily similar to the great Crus des Cotes du Rhone, was replanted to Pinot Noir, with a view to creating small batches of the most superior vintages. Managed to fully certified organic husbandry, the precious Ridge Block yields the most intense Pinot Noir, crafted to minimalist old world techniques, articulate of a very special site.

Pinot Noir excells within the favourable winegrowing climes of Marlborough, fruit ripens to excellent condition on healthy vines. The Giesen style varies from one vintage to the next as determined by the season, always displaying the individuality of site, soil and mesoclime. An animate Pinot wine with ripe varietal flavours and refined tannins, fashioned from fruit grown to splendid Marlborough vineyards.

Central Otago is a winegrower's paradise and a Pinot Noir maker's dream, a topographical cornucoppia of microclimes and stupendous terroirs. Planted to rich glacial deposits along the Wanaka Cromwell Highway, under the lee of Sugarloaf near the hamlet of Pisa, the frugal harvest of TOSQ Vineyard is treated to traditional wild yeast open vinification. The active barrels set sail across the Tasman for completion of ferments at the Giant Steps wineworks in Yarra Valley. Central Otago as you like it, gummy, soily tannins, peppery black brambles, gelatinous opulence and palate weight throughout.

Sexton Vineyard is wonderfully intricate, exuding notes of wild blackberry, dried mushroom, mulberry bush and braised plum, cinnamon stick and sour cherry. The coolest slopes of Sexton are planted to five Pinot Noir clones, managed according to biodynamic principles, providing several threads of expression to weave into the final wine. Sexton's fruit focus and fine tannins are enhanced by a judicious treatment of Burgundy styled oak.

The Sexton family live in the middle of their eighty acre vineyard on the high north face of the Warramate Ranges, within the dress circle of Yarra Valley's most eminent estates. The vineyard is introducing organic practises with the express purpose of further distinguishing the site and improving grape and wine quality. An assemblage of Pinot Noir and Shiraz, treated to a traditional course of ferments and judicious term of oak, fashioned into an immensely satisfying, seamless yet complex and engaging, bucolic old world style.

The capriciousness of the hard to grow, early ripening Pinot Noir makes its expression of site all the more sublime. The winemaking at Giant Steps is holistic and closely micro managed, a particular objective is to enhance the natural microflora for the facilitation of indigenous fermentations in the winery. The Yarra Valley's cool, slow ripening aspects, afford Pinot Noir the time to develop its seductive labyrinth of aromas, showing bright red fruit notes underscored by earthy complexity.

After decades of managing vineyards and making wine, Crittenden have formed strong and enduring relationships with Victoria's best growers. Geppetto is a blend of Pinot Noir clones MV6 and 114, 115 and D2V5, all picked by hand from good vineyards in Sunbury and Geelong, Tuerong and Patterson Lakes. Geppetto is judiciously aged in barrels of seasoned oak, the style is intentionally made for early enjoyment, increased vine age and gentle processing makes a wine that articulates the vitality of Victorian Pinot Noir.

Freycinet Vineyard lies on a namesake peninsula in northeast Tasmania. Situated on the 42nd latitude, the property enjoys a unique microclimate. The long growing season extends into May, combining much sunshine and warm days, winter rains with no frosts, ideal for the production of excellent quality cool climate fruit. The vineyard sits a hundred metres above sea level, at a distance of twenty kilometres from the coast, the climes here are very maritime. At harvest the grapes are bursting with flavour.

Such are the favourable microclimes around Tasmania for the production of world class Pinot Noir, that they have attracted the interest and investment of some of the great Maisons of Burgundy. The soils that lay beneath the vines at Freycinet are terre extraordinaire, it works closely with the low altitudes, idyllic conditions and refreshing maritime winds, to encourage the vines into yielding the most extraordinary harvests of Pinot Noir. Louis brims with splendid cool climate characters, impressive for it's burgundian styling, while being unambiguously Tasmanian.

Hand tended vines yielding harvests of hand sorted fruit to be vinified into hand made wines is the Foxey's Hangout way. After two decades of operating award winning Melbourne restaurants, Michael and Tony Lee followed their hearts to a property on Merricks North near the conspicuous Mornington junction at Foxeys Hangout. The brothers planted their first vines in 1997 and later assumed management of the eminent Massoni Vineyard. Red Fox is crafted by the Lee Brothers to be eminently drinkable upon release, in the most profoundly Mornington Pinot Noir way.

The Four Sisters are a joint venture between Trevor Mast of Mount Langi Ghiran and Alistair Purbrick of Chateau Tahbilk. Purbrick contributed the quality of fruit, to which Mast applied the style of winemaking which have established all three holdings as hugely successful labels. The Four Sisters represent Sparkling of the highest order, an effervescent Cuvée of immense flavour and zing. The cherry berryness of Pinot Noir are distinct, harmonizing beautifully and adding weight to the golden, peachyness of Chardonnay.

Rarely ever made in vineyards of the new world, Vin Gris is a Blanc de Noirs, rather common in many parts of Europe, where grapes of either colour can be mix and matched for a rainbow of wine styles. Felton Road treat their Pinot Noir to a whole bunch press and prompt draining of skins, infusing the juices with rakish coppery hues and just a soupçon of textural grape tannin. A prettily perfumed nose of strawberry and wild flower, Vin Gris palate is laden with fruits yet pleasingly dry, herbaceousness and apple, its long, tasty finish, seasoned by sprigs of fennel and bay.

A characterful Pinot Noir born of triumph over adversity. Considerable research by Stewart Elms in 1991 identified the north facing slopes at the end of Felton Road near Bannockburn as being one of the warmest and most ideal sites in Central Otago. Heat summation data and soil maps from the construction of the Clyde Hydro Dam made a crucial contribution to the establishment of vines on Felton Road. Mouthcoating, subtle and caressing of fruit, a Pinot Noir of harmony, restraint and sophistication that intrigues rather than shouts its breeding, finishing with just enough tannin to frame the wine beautifully.

A number of sites along Felton Road were meticulously surveyed before any vines went in the ground, favourable soils were identified as free draining and low fertility, influenced by the Central Otago growing season to yield an extraordinary quality of Pinot Noir. The non interventionalist approach means a traditional fermentation and moderately long maceration on skins to extract rich colours and tannin with considerable depth of flavour. Aged for a year in a selection of the finest French barriques, its dusty floral nose, violets and rose, integrate seamlessly with the oak perfumes of cinnamon and clove.