Central Otago is a truly spectacular wine region in so many ways, not least due to its stark and captivating scenery: ravines, mountains, lakes, snow-capped ranges, and raging torrents that make Olympic kayak courses look like millstreams. This is a wine region not quite like any other in New Zealand. Protected by mountain ranges, it is not subject to the same maritime influences. Moreover, while Chile may have a few vineyards sitting farther south, this is the most southerly major wine-growing region in the world, on the 45th parallel.
The region has 2,055ha (5,080 acres) planted, all but 400ha (990 acres) to Pinot Noir. Despite only emerging in the past few decades, Central Otago is already renowned for some of the most thrilling and idiosyncratic Pinot on the planet. After Pinot, there are 172ha (425 acres) of Pinot Gris, 92ha (227 acres) of Chardonnay, and 62ha (153 acres) of Riesling. A few producers make an array of other wines, though quantities are small—even Gamay and Chenin Blanc make an appearance.
Around half of these grapes are shipped off to larger producers, but the region is still home to 67 of its own wineries, under 137 labels: enough people and enough stories to fill books, not paragraphs. There is Alan Brady, who first established a vineyard in Central Otago, against the wisdom of experts who said it was too cold and too far south. (When he retired from Gibbston Valley, the region’s first commercial winery, he set up Mount Edward as a hobby. After a second failed retirement, he established Wild Irishman in 2006.) There are New Zealand natives, like Paul Pujol of Prophet’s Rock and Olly Masters, of Masters and Jack. There are the many people who have traveled around the world to make wine here: Misha Wilkinson and Dan Dineen from Australia, of Misha’s Vineyard and Maude Wines respectively; Jen Parr from Oregon, now working at Valli; and Rudi Bauer from Austria, now making some of New Zealand’s best sparkling wine and some of his own best Pinots. There are characters who serve their wine alongside stories, like Nick Mills at Rippon, or Blair Walter at Fenton Road. There are celebrity viticulturists like François Millet, and there are plain old celebrities, like Sam Neill, whose Two Paddocks vineyard is so much more than the usual movie-star hobby job. The list goes on.
It is a region filled with interesting people and interesting wines. But it is not monolithic. The subregions, widely spread, often show dramatic variances thanks to their terroir. Gibbston, Bannockburn, Bendigo, Wanaka, Cromwell, Pisa, Lowburn, and Alexandra all offer wines with distinct differences. In general, Central Otago Pinot is bold, exuberant, generously structured, and silky. The Chardonnay is lean, elegant, and intense. Riesling often has searing acidity but, if balanced with a little sweetness, makes some really exciting wines. Mt Edwards, Rippon, and Felton Road are all Riesling specialists, too.
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Among this wealth of people, places, and wines, however, Sato stood out.
Yoshiaki and Kyoko Sato worked with both Felton Road and Mt Edward but now offer tiny quantities of their own wines. I was absolutely blown away by how wonderful the entire range is, but their Sur les Nuages Pinot 2021 was close to being the wine of the trip for me, certainly among current releases. As we said at the time, if this had come out of a bottle labeled Musigny, none of us would have been surprised. A recent opportunity to revisit the range in even more depth simply reinforced how good these wines are.
Six of the finest Central Otago Pinot Noirs
2020 Rippon Emma’s Block Pinot Noir
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The “block” faces east on the lakefront. Emma was Nick’s great-great-
great-grandmother. Biodynamics are in play here, with up to one third whole bunches. Red fruits, herbs, undergrowth, and silky tannins. A truly gorgeous and elegant Pinot. Perhaps the most ethereal Central Otago Pinot made today. | 96
2021 Maude Mt Maude Reserve Pinot Noir
I am always a fan of this wine, vintage after vintage, and this is surely one of their best. A luscious style, with plums and cassis and near-transparent tannins. Perfectly balanced. | 98
2015 Prophet’s Rock Cuvée aux Antipodes Pinot Noir
Some age here, but it remains fresh and energetic. New Zealand meets France—and Pinotphiles win. There is depth here but also elegance, persistence, and such precision. Truly thrilling. | 97
2022 Quartz Reef Bendigo Pinot Noir
From Rudi’s biodynamic vineyard planted in 1998, this wine spent a year in French oak, partially new. A restrained plushness here, with cushiony, velvety tannins. Compelling. This is the best wine that I have seen from Quartz Reef. | 97
2021 Sato Sur les Nuages Pinot Noir
A contender for my wine of the trip. Cherry-pit and bergamot notes. Silk and lace. The balance is knife-edge, and the wine simply dances. Ten to 20 years ahead. | 98
2022 Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir
This is the most famous name in Central Otago Pinot, and it more than lives up to its reputation. In a vertical going back to 2016, this 2022 and the 2021 took the honors. Deep, brooding, and complex, with root vegetables, cassis, and soy. Such length. | 97
