New Zealand Reds: Making the Bucket List

BY
REBECCA GIBB MW | JULY 29, 2025New
Zealand has long held a spot on the global travel bucket list. Attractions such
as bungee jumping in Queenstown, hiking through Middle Earth, visiting glowworm
caves and traversing glaciers draw visitors from around the world. Despite the
cinematic fame of its landscape, New Zealand wine—particularly the reds—remain
curiously undercelebrated, especially considering the quality of Pinot Noir
coming out of regions like Central Otago, Marlborough and Martinborough.Since
borders reopened after Covid, visitor numbers have been edging their way closer
to pre-pandemic levels. Tourism New Zealand’s latest survey extrapolated that
28% of adults in the United States, equivalent to 59.5 million people, rank New
Zealand in their top five dream holidays and intend to visit within three
years. So why aren’t New Zealand reds on the bucket list for wine lovers around
the world?Local
producers admit that their struggles are a problem of perception: most of the
world thinks of New Zealand as a white wine country. If you look at export
figures, 95% of all wine leaving New Zealand ports is white, principally
Sauvignon Blanc. But let’s be honest, there’s a snobbery toward Sauvignon Blanc
in wine circles; this is not the variety on which to establish a reputation for
fine wine. There is no denying that New Zealand Sauvignon is much loved, but
its general appeal as a fruity, flamboyant, early-drinking style does not pave
the way for fine wine producers. <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1753797794656-Is+there+a+more+bucket-list+vineyard+to+visit+than+Rippon+in+Central+Otago_Vinous.jpg">The idyllic Rippon Vineyard in Central Otago.&nbsp; Some
producers believe that a growing reputation for finer New Zealand Chardonnay
will make it possible for the country’s Pinot Noir to flourish, but that’s
going to take time. The quality of its Pinot is already apparent, which is
noteworthy when you consider that the variety was first produced in Central
Otago as recently as 1987. It takes time to cultivate a vineyard worthy of vieilles
vignes. It wasn’t as if the winemakers of the 1980s knew Pinot Noir would
work on their sites when they planted a fruit salad of varieties in a bid to
discover the best match. Pinot Noir has continually evolved since then. In the
1990s, for example, it was often planted on Marlborough’s valley floor on
free-draining alluvial soils, which were better suited to fresh and fruit-forward
styles than complex expressions. As a result, Marlborough is shackled with a perception
that it can only yield light-hearted Pinot. But with growers gaining access to
the slopes of the Southern Valleys in the early 2000s and vines now reaching their
third decade, Marlborough Pinot Noir has become more impressive. Though
Marlborough represents half of the nation’s Pinot Noir plantings, the regional reputation
for the variety takes a back seat to Sauvignon Blanc. That said, with every
passing year, Marlborough inches a little closer to the seriousness that other
regions like Martinborough and Central Otago have attained. Savory
complexity is difficult to develop in a place where fruit is so abundant, but it
can be achieved through increased vine age and by permitting the wines to age
in bottle. It is evident that producers have not only grown more confident in
their sites and their winemaking abilities, but they’re also more confident sharing
their wines with the world. They know who they are, they know Pinot Noir, and
they won’t apologize for not being Burgundy. As Paul Donaldson of Pegasus Bay
put it, “This is us. We hope you like what we’re doing, but if not, too bad.” The
paradox is that while New Zealand Pinot Noir has never been as good as it is
today, it’s never been harder to sell. Many local producers express concern
over sluggish wine sales, both domestically and overseas. This is hardly unique;
recent headlines have confirmed the broader wine community’s fears that global wine
consumption fell in 2024 to the lowest level since 1961. That also means that producers
are delaying releases of new vintages, leading to a number of repeat samples
from my last report.The
2023 Vintage: A Year of Two Islands North
Island:MartinboroughIt was
a challenging year for reds on the North Island in 2023. “Jesus had an easier
time turning water into wine,” lamented Martinborough producer Kai Schubert.
North Island growers were subject to an act of God: Cyclone Gabrielle hit the
east coast of New Zealand and brought record rainfall. Martinborough, a small
town with a big Pinot reputation, received the year’s annual rainfall over the
course of the growing season. While statistics show that it was generally warm,
it was also a cloudy, humid season in which a lack of sunshine combined with
regular rainfall produced a wash-out summer and vines with large, dilute
berries. This meant that wines were light in colour and body and lacked
structure and depth. Many producers decided to protect their reputations and
declassify fruit, including Ata Rangi, who did not make a single bottle of
estate or single-vineyard Pinot Noir in 2023. Those attempting to make reds had
to pluck leaves to avoid rot, then figure out which bunches would get to the
finish line. John Kavanagh, Te Kairanga’s winemaker, says, “It was a
challenging vintage. We did some wild ferments, but we mostly used cultured
yeasts. The fruit was not super clean, and we didn’t want rogue yeasts, so it
was best to inoculate. We didn’t do any whole bunch in 2023, either.” Hawke’s
BaySeveral
hours’ drive up the east coast of the North Island, the cyclone took a heavier
toll on Hawke’s Bay growers. As discussed in my report on the <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/new-zealand-whites-never-gonna-give-you-up-mar-2025">2023 whites</a>, authorities declared the storm
that followed over the next four days the worst storm since Cyclone Bola in
1988. Huge swells battered the coast, numerous landslides occurred, and river
silts buried or swept away some homes and vineyards. The people of Hawke’s Bay
climbed onto rooftops, fearing for their lives amid widespread flooding. Forced
evacuations, bridge collapses and power outages left winegrowers and friends
unaccounted for over several days. Many growers could not even get to their
vineyards due to the damage. For example, Warren Gibson and Lorraine Leheny of
Bilancia couldn’t access their hillside vineyards due to landslides blocking
the highway. &nbsp;Time has been a healer, as
the pair now jokes that they “inherited some terroir from [their] neighbours.”
As a result, there was no 2023 La Collina Syrah, the second consecutive year
without Bilancia’s flagship red. <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1753797732574-NZ+Reds+Cover.jpg">Bilancia lies on the steep slopes of Roy’s Hill overlooking the Gimblett
Gravels.Hawke’s
Bay’s staple red varieties are Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, which tend
to be harvested in the last third of March through mid-April. For the
latest-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, there was still time after the cyclone for
the vines laden with hard berries and thick skins to dry out, recover and
ripen. As a result, Cabernet Sauvignon is the star of the vintage. For many
years, Cabernet Sauvignon has been an anxiety-inducing variety in this marginal
climate, but the cyclonic episodes of recent years have favoured late-ripeners.
Gordon Russell, winemaker at Esk Valley over the last 30 years, believes this
is due to climate change: “Rather than temperatures rising, what seems to have
changed is that tropical cyclones tend to come earlier. Whereas cyclonic
instances used to occur in late March and April, now they come in February, which
makes Merlot more susceptible. Cabernet Sauvignon, on the other hand, can ripen
over the Indian summer. I’d suggest it’s becoming the star variety of the
Gimblett Gravels, perhaps along with Cabernet Franc. Two thousand twenty-three was
my last vintage at Esk, and Cabernet Sauvignon became my most prized and
treasured grape.”The
cyclone’s arrival softened and split the berries of earlier-ripening varieties.
Te Mata, for example, did not make a Pinot Noir in 2023. Likewise, many top
Syrahs and Bordeaux blends weren’t made, the fruit either declassified or sold
as bulk. For the grapes that did make the grade, producers had to wait for the
soil to dry and focus on fungal disease prevention via leaf removal and
dropping any suspect fruit. The 2023 vintage clearly won’t be legendary, but there
will be a few nice surprises from the most meticulous producers. <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1753798140090-Pinot+Noir+has+found+a+worthy+home+on+the+slopes+of+Marlborough%27s+Southern+Valleys_Vinous.jpg">Pinot Noir has found a worthy home on the slopes of Marlborough's Southern Valleys. South
Island - MarlboroughReceiving
comparatively little rain, South Islanders looked on with unease as their
northerly counterparts bore the brunt of the cyclone. Marlborough’s rainfall was
more or less on par with the long-term average in February and March, the key
months for ripening and harvesting Pinot Noir. After the lacklustre 2022
vintage, 2023 came as a relief for many growers. Admittedly, there were
viticultural pressures. A cool and wet spring naturally reduced crops, with
Pinot Noir yields down 17%. Late summer was cool and cloudy, raising concerns
that botrytis might get the better of the fruit, but the inclement weather in
the spring led to loose bunches that helped reduce disease pressure. Cool temperatures,
including a near-frost in March, the key harvest month for Marlburians, delayed
harvest but reduced the spread of botrytis. The resulting Pinot Noirs are full-bodied
yet juicy and remarkably fresh. The 2023 wines show a youthful, vibrant purple
hue at this early stage, especially compared with the high-pH, orange-brown
2022 Pinots. The 2023s are suitably fragrant with bright, primary fruit.
Acidity is fresh and crunchy with moderate alcohol. Choice of picking date was
key, as some wines show an angularity that suggests premature harvesting while
also lending the wines a cool finish. Others boast ripe fruit and succulent
tannins.Central
OtagoWhile
some producers remain on the 2022 vintage as their current release, others are
well into their 2023s. Tasting the two side by side reveals a contrast in
styles. The 2022s are ripe, supple and approachable, reflecting the warmer and
less turbulent season. The run-up to harvest was dry and warm, with cool nights
and no major incidents, an unusual combination in the unpredictable basement of
southern hemisphere viticulture.The
2023 Pinot Noirs, by contrast, are attractive for their drive and moderate
alcohol levels, which reflect the season’s frosts and cool ending. Brian Shaw
of Wild Irishman explains “I thought we were going to cruise to the finish
line. Then, on March 28, everything turned on its head with three consecutive
nights of frost. We went from 23 to 22 brix because we had to use water to fight
frost. Ripening stopped. We had to wait a week to recover flavour. So, 2023 has
ended up with slightly higher acid and lower alcohol.” There is an edge to the
2023s, and it will take time for them to come together. But that’s hardly a
problem at this early stage in their lives, especially when 2022 offers an
earlier-drinking proposition.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1753798048387-LVMH-owned+Cloudy+Bay+is+not+only+serious+about+its+whites+but+Pinot+Noir+too_Vinous.jpg">The barrel-aging cellar at Cloudy Bay.&nbsp;NelsonI also
tasted a few 2023 submissions from Nelson, which gave an accurate picture of
the vintage. Much of the fruit here is contracted to Marlborough wineries,
particularly Sauvignon Blanc. In Nelson, there are legacy issues with small mom-and-pop
wineries, which tend to lack succession plans if the next generation is not willing
or able to take over when the time comes. Several wineries have been put up for
sale or converted into market gardens. However, this often-wet region in the
northwest of the South Island escaped the cyclone, and the few wines I tasted are
savory, round, fresh and balanced. 















































I tasted the wines for this
report both in New Zealand and at home in England in spring 2025.© 2025, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.<hr> You Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/new-zealand-whites-never-gonna-give-you-up-mar-2025">New Zealand Whites: Never Gonna Give You Up</a>, Rebecca Gibb MW, March 2025<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/kumeu-river-the-kiwi-dream-sep-2024">Kumeu River: The Kiwi Dream</a>, Rebecca Gibb MW, September 2024 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/new-zealand-s-latest-red-releases-growing-up-may-2024">New Zealand’s Latest Red Releases: Growing Up</a>, Rebecca Gibb MW, May 2024 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/2023-new-zealand-whites-the-cyclone-vintage-apr-2024">2023 New Zealand Whites: The Cyclone Vintage</a>, Rebecca Gibb MW, April 2024 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/all-change-new-zealand-reds-apr-2023">All Change: New Zealand Reds</a>, Rebecca Gibb MW, April 2023

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