Pete Yealands is a natural viticulturalist, happiest at work on the land, he has established many of Marlborough's most splendid vineyards. Single site Awatere Pinot Noir from an exposed terrace on the upper ridge of Seaview Vineyard, planted to some marvelous Dijon clones. The confluence of auspicious soils and low yields translate into a wine of sound structure and generous palate weight. Dark cherry, rose petal and elegant spice, mouthfilling flavours of raspberry rhubarb and luscious dark cherry are balanced by a line of fine mineral acidity.

The uncompromising pursuit of excellence brings the Yealands team to the extreme viticultural climes of Gibbston Valley in Central Otago. It is here under the frigid cloudless night skies that Pinot Noir vines, planted to undulating granite schist soils, struggle to yield harvests of parched grapes, redolent with cherry berry perfumes, bursting with an intensity of flavour and wrapped in a muslin of seamless, velvet tannins. Treated to a year in a proportion of new French oak barriques, the Otago Pinot of choice to match with red meats, lamb roasts and game.

Ben Morven and Taylor River are two exceptional Pinot Noir vineyards, strategically located in the lee of Wairau Valley's southern landmark range. Each site is hand harvested as the fruit comes into optimal flavour ripeness. The various clones and blocks are all kept separate throughout the winemaking to preserve integrity. From seductive bright morello cherry notes to fresh brambly wild berry compote characters, subtle French oak spice, black olive and lingering blue aromatics, Wither Hills delivers a youthful and evocative Marlborough Pinot Noir.

Whitehaven pride themselves on the peerless quality of fruit, they take nothing but the pick of crop and work with Marlborough's most distinguished growers. A superior harvest of Pinot Noir is sourced from Michelle and Andy Peter's vineyard in Awatere Valley. Grapes are destemmed into small open top vats and plunged several times daily over the course of a week, racked to a high proportion of new French oak for malolactic and fifteen month's maturation. A full bodied style of exquisite balance and ample fruit, woo your Whitehaven with game and gourmandise.

Central Otago is the source of full bodied, impenetrable Pinot Noir. The historical Shanagolden Block was settled in 1867 by James Leslie, a Scot who emigrated to New Zealand at the age of seventeen to prospect the Dunstan gold rush. It later came to the attention of the proprietor, that the free draining, northerly aspect of this Block was particularly suited to viticulture. Just 1½ kilometres west of Shanagolden, grown to the nearby Old Matagouri Block, a small parcel of vines is the source fruit for the breathtaking Waitiri Creek Pinot Noir.

At the ends of the earth, high in the topographically challenging aspects of New Zealand's South Island, rises Mountain Buttercup. Delicate in visage and beautiful to behold, it belies its harsh upbringing. Waipara Hills is part of a wild, wayward landscape where vines have survived perilous winters to produce complex, elegant wines for you to enjoy. Parcels of Pinot Noir are earmarked on the basis of strong varietal definition, supportive tannins and refreshing acidity, vinified to a vibrant, forward drinking, fruit driven styling.

The inspiring wines of Waipara Hills epitomise the South Island's unique personality. Central Otago Pinot Noir in particular is traditionally endowed with strong varietal characters and bold, lingering flavours. The Waipara Hills team continue to build on their reputation for hand crafting the highest quality, award winning boutique efforts which rise to the expectation of the most demanding Pinot Noir enthusuast, while being accessible to all. It's all about not overworking the wine, allowing the splendid flavours of the exquisite Central Otago fruit to speak for itself.

The approach here to Pinot Noir is essentially traditional, with gentle handling and extraction from harvest right through to bottling. Waimea Estate were one of the first in New Zealand to use new technologies such as micro-oxygenation, ganimede fermenters and cross-flow filtration. Modern winemaking techniques create a synergy with those of the old world. From a selection of burgundian Pinot Noir clones including 114, 115, and 667 and 777 grown to the Packhouse vineyard on the stony loam soils of the Waimea Plains.

An elite block of Pinot Noir at Rutherford Vineyard, nestled within the gently north facing foothills of Ben Morven Valley in the Southern Marlborough Clays. Crafted to minimalist handling techniques, a beguilingly eloquent style of Pinot Noir defined by its outstanding purity and finesse. Seductive perfumes of ripe red apple, violets and lithe, fragrant spice over an expansive Pinot palate layered with bright fresh fruit flavours, supported by supple tannins and delicate background oak, a lengthy, exquisitely balanced, immaculate, satin sheen finish.

An accord of fruit from Marlborough's Awatere and Wairau Valleys, propitious vineyards enriched by sunshine and stimulated by cooling ocean breezes. Central to the excellence of Villa Maria is an uncompromising attention to the health of each individual vine and cleanliness of environment. A Pinot Noir of remarkable intensity, redolent with the titillating complexity of fragrant fresh herbs, brimming with red cherry fruit richness, the savouryness of grilled mushroom and aromatic smoke, engaging and articulate over a length of fine, grainy tannins.

Attorney Vineyard is planted to a north facing block on the dry eastern foothills of Wairau Valley. Fully Biogro certified organic since 2012, its deep clay soils receive minimal rainfall yet offer the perfect microclimes for organic farming. The superb harvests of Attorney Vineyard are distinctive for their tiny, thick skinned berries, fortuitously yielding dark intense wines of fine structure and bold tannins. Heady bouquets, coffee bean, blackberries and black olive, layers of savoury flavours, cardamom and clove, length of liquorice before a juicy blackcurrant finish.

Vavasour were the first to plant vines in Awatere Valley, an area with climes rather different to the rest of Marlborough, yielding a quality of Pinot Noir which offers unique charm. There is only one goal for the team at Vavasour, get the best fruit and make the finest wine for those who appreciate all things Marlborough. Careful land management is essential, leaf plucking and shoot thinning, closely manicured canopies and controlled yields, all ensure the finest harvest of Pinot Noir, exhibiting great concentration of fruit and vibrant varietal character.

The Picnic Point label depicts Sam Neill's grandparents picnicking on Karitane Beach at Otago circa 1919. The jovial chap with a pipe is Sidney Neill, established importer of French wines, among other things. Some friends, a blanket or two, a bit of lunch and a glass of wine, looks like life was good. Picnic Point is made for times like these. Sam Neill's entry level Pinot Noir, though by any measure, a praiseworthy effort. Each year Picnic Point release a limited amount of vintage, so you may find yourself on a journey bound for Central Otago to find it.

Earnscleugh Valley was the site of a gold rush in the 1860s, the industrious miners dug a watercourse through the valley which today serves to nourish the world's southernmost appellation of Pinot Noir. The Last Chance is a small scenic terrace, planted to a special Burgundy clone of Pinot Noir which yields a magnificently structured, generously proportioned wine. Carefully sorted bunches of hand picked fruit, treated to a traditional old world ferment in open vats and term of age in fine French oak. A lifted spice and dried herb nose before a palate of amazing density, length and persistence, elegance and poise.

Sam Neill's father was a major in the Royal Irish Fusiliers, he returned to the family wine and liquor business after retirement and inspired his famous son to take up viticulture. There are six hectares of Fusilier under vine, planted to deep alluvial silty gravels, on a steppe of rolling northerly facing terraces at the western end of Felton Road. A mix of stemmed grapes and whole bunches are filled to 3½ tonne wooden cuvee for several days cold soak and wild yeast ferment, followed by transfer to medium and light toast French oak barriques for eleven months maturation.

Sam Neill's perennial favourite, from the original planting of his homestead vines at the heart of Gibbston Valley. Established 1993 to a unique Burgundian clone of Pinot Noir, meticulously husbanded, First Paddock is one of the eldest blocks of vine in all Central Otago. Vibrant ruby hues, lifted perfumed bouquet of dark cherries and plum, concentrated herbal complexities, depth and persistence before a distinctive lengthy savoury finish. The articulation of Central Otago Pinot Noir complex yet elegant, generously proportioned, brimming with fruit, superbly structured, florals, violets and wild spice.

An assemblage of fruit grown to several elite Central Otago sites, the estate flagship barrel selection, from the Sam Neill family vineyards, normally a selection picked off Gibbston First Paddock, Bannockburn's Fusilier and Earnscleugh's Red Bank. A charming effort in Burgundian styling, unequivocally world class, artisanally crafted Central Otago Pinot Noir. Each block and clone are picked and fermented separately, the final wine is assembled just before bottling. Small batch? You bet, a mere few hundred dozen are made each year.

There's very little that comes out of Central Otago which isn't thoroughly spectacular. Super Nanny represents the best of the very best, a very limited release edition, vinified from a parcel or two, hand picked and scrupulously sorted off the most splendid rows on Nanny Goat Vineyard. Whole bunches and cold soaks, hand plunges and a gentle press, a luxuriously high proportion of new oak for malolactic and age. A seductively dark brooding bouquet, savouryness and meat, dutch chocolate underbelly, rhubarb and plum, a taut mineral line over toothsome, gummy tannins.

Stoneleigh's Vineyards are located towards the northern side of Wairau Valley in close proximity to the mighty Wairau River. Often referred to as the Rapaura series of soils, they are relatively young, based on river silts and stones, low in nutrients they offer very little water holding capacity. True to the Stoneleigh style, this soft, supple wine captures the essence of Marlborough. Fragrant and flavoursome, it has been fashioned from small blocks of varying clones and rootstocks, achieving a completely integrated and complex style of Pinot Noir.

Central Otago is renowned for its stunning scenery of rugged mountains and picturesque lakes. Rockburn is bounded on the west by mountains whose seaward slopes are covered by rain forest, to the east is a barren, moon Iike landscape that receives less than 25mm of rain a year. Situated between these extremes, Rockburn's vines yield a stunning wine, one has only to taste a Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir to be completely won over by its elegantly perfumed nose, lifted violet fragrances and earthy, forest floor sensations on the rich, generous palate.

A 19th century grazier with a sheep station overrun by rabbits, Mr. MacGregor tried unsuccessfully to reduce the population by catching them and turning them into pies. The locals took up the challenge but the plague continued. Eventually MacGregor decided to plant vines and make a decent Pinot Noir to go with all the pie he was eating. Rabbit Ranch is made to a very soft, fruit forward, low tannin style. Beautifully aromatic, textural with the characteristic Otago richness, clean and endowed with exquisite balance, a wine to be savoured and supped.

Ra Nui stands for Marlborough, the realization of the finest Pinot Noir from a very special terroir. An intense construct, crafted for serious Pinotphiles, Ra Nui reflects choice selection of clone and rootstock, in combination with low yields, sensible oak and rich lees treatments. Grapes are principally sourced from the Ra Nui Summer Valley Vineyard, situated near the town of Blenheim under the lee of Wither Hills. A small, devotedly managed site, planted to Dijon clones 115 and 667, 777 and Abel, yielding low harvests of small berries with concentrated flavours.

Bendigo is a slightly newer viticultural precinct of Central Otago, the largest quartz reef deposit in New Zealand runs directly beneath the vines. Established to industrial mining in 1862, the historic town of Bendigo is gaining new renown, this time for the most cogent and compelling vintages of Central Otago Pinot Noir. Selective pickings, whole bunches and a gentle hand plunge of wild yeast ferments, pressed into French oak barriques for malolactic and age. A generously proportioned and effusive Central Otago Pinot Noir of great texture, substance and complexity.

Central Otago produces the new world's weightiest and most distinctive Pinot Noir. The vinification techniques at Quartz Reef however are very much in keeping with the traditional practices of the old world. Pinot Noir clones 10/5 and 5, 115 and 667, 777 and Abel are all hand picked off a closely planted, steep slope at Bendigo, a small percentage of whole bunches are retained. A week of cold soak and gentle hand plunging of indigenous yeast ferments are followed by maceration and pressing into a selection of seasoned and new French oak barrels for malolactic and maturation.

Prophet's Rock were established in 1999, with a view to finding sites like no other. Rocky Point Vineyard is such a place, planted to some of the steepest blocks in Central Otago, at the rugged southern extremes of Bendigo. The challenging slopes are drenched in the daytime sunshine, as the rough and stony, free draining soils store the invaluable heat, warming the vines overnight. The Pinot Noir ripens earlier on Rocky Point Vineyard, realizing minimal yields of beautifully perfumed, structured yet supple wines which drink brilliantly in their youth.

The Home block at Prophet's Rock hosts a rare mix of soils, schist and quartz clays over a lens of alkaline chalk, all serving to stimulate the auspicious vines. Grapes are all fully destemmed and treated to a minimalist, hands off style of vinification, aimed at permiting the wine to make itself, uninfluenced and unperturbed. A succulent expression of Central Otago at its most exquisite, a jubilee of cherries, mineral and mace, seamless of tannin, graceful and intense. An extremely limited release from a tiny parcel of the most superlative vines, a mere sixty dozen bottles of vintage.

Prophet Rock's Home Vineyard was planted to a north facing terrac, high above the Bendigo Station homestead, to panoramic vistas across river terraces of Cromwell Basin and stoic mountains of Pisa Range. An opportune confluence of soils, aspect and clime translate into harvests of intensely flavoured Pinot Noir. Vinification to a regimen of minimalist handling techniques, a gentle ferment through the action of wild, indigenous yeasts, followed by eighteen months in oak, encourages the wine to make itself and to fulfill the promise of Central Otago's most remarkable terroir.