Can you buy a truly outstanding New Zealand pinot noir for $30 or less? The short answer is no, but pinot lovers can still find many highly attractive and satisfying reds.
Our production of pinot noir, which skyrocketed 10 to 20 years ago, is currently exceeding the demand, putting downward pressure on price. The good news is that the overall quality of our sub-$30 pinot noirs is rising, as the country’s winegrowers respond to an extremely competitive market.
Alexander Dusty Road Martinborough Pinot Noir 2023
★★★★
Crafted for early drinking, this second-tier red was estate-grown and matured in French oak barrels. Bright ruby, it is mouthfilling, savoury and supple, with fresh, ripe fruit flavours, seasoned with nutty oak, good complexity, and plenty of youthful vigour and charm. $29
Askerne Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2021
★★★★
This northern expression of pinot noir drinks well in its youth and delivers very good value. Grown on river terraces near Havelock North, it was matured for nine months in French oak casks. Full-bodied, it is fresh and sweet-fruited, with strong, lively cherry, plum and spice flavours, savoury notes adding complexity, and supple tannins. $23
Babich Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023
★★★
This fruity, lively, medium-bodied red is still youthful. It has vibrant cherry, red berry and spice flavours, woven with fresh acidity, a touch of complexity from brief oak ageing, and supple tannins. $20
Clouston & Co Marlborough Pinot Noir 2022
★★★★½
This refined red offers good value. Harvested from mature, 20-year-old vines in the Southern Valleys, it was aged for nearly a year in French oak barrels, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Ruby hued, it is a medium-bodied, savoury, silky-textured red, with cherry, plum and spice flavours, seasoned with nutty oak, and very good complexity and harmony. (12.5% alc/vol) $30
Crimson Peak Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023
★★★★½
From Rockburn winery, this bright ruby red was barrel matured for 10 months. It is mouthfilling, with generous ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, a subtle oak influence, and very good complexity. A savoury, vibrant, harmonious red, it’s already drinking well, but age-worthy, too. $30
Cuvar Iris Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023
★★★★
Drinking well in its youth, this estate-grown red was harvested in the upper Awatere Valley and matured in seasoned oak barriques. Bright ruby, it is full-bodied and supple, with very good depth of cherry, plum and spice flavours, a gentle seasoning of nutty oak, and considerable complexity. A graceful, harmonious red, it should break into full stride 2026+. $30
Dancing Dove Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023
★★★★
This elegant red was grown predominantly in the Alexandra sub-region. Bright ruby, it is mouthfilling and vibrantly fruity, in a strongly varietal style with very good depth, a distinct touch of complexity, fresh acidity and a finely textured, lingering finish. $28
Delta Marlborough Pinot Noir 2022
★★★½
Priced sharply, this fresh, medium-bodied, single-vineyard red was grown in the Southern Valleys. Fragrant, it offers good depth of ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, hints of toasty oak, moderate complexity and supple tannins. (12.5% alc/vol) $20
Devil’s Staircase Central Otago Pinot Noir 2024
★★★½
From Rockburn, this bright ruby, vibrantly fruity red slips down very easily in its youth. Handled without any use of oak casks, it is fresh and supple, with good depth and ripeness of flavour, gentle tannins, and slightly earthy, savoury notes adding interest. $24
Eight Ranges Trail Rider Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022
★★★½
Drinking well in its youth, this attractive, bright ruby red from an Alexandra-based producer is full-bodied and well-rounded. It has vibrant, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, gently seasoned with oak, and good harmony. $27
Esk Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023
★★★½
This youthful red was grown in the Awatere and Wairau valleys. Ruby hued, it is a strongly varietal, softly mouthfilling wine, with good depth of ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, savoury notes adding complexity, and supple tannins. Best drinking mid-2026+. $25
Hāhā Marlborough Pinot Noir 2024
★★★½
Already highly approachable but age-worthy, too, this modestly priced red was grown in the Wairau and Awatere valleys, and part of the blend was oak-aged for 10 months. Full, bright ruby, it is mouthfilling and vigorous, with generous ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing a distinct touch of complexity. Best drinking 2027+. $19-$23
Hunter’s Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023
★★★★½
Offering fine value, this bright ruby red was grown in clay soils in the Southern Valleys, hand picked, and matured for a year in French oak barrels. A highly appealing, finely textured red, it is perfumed and supple, with cherry, plum and spice flavours, revealing excellent ripeness, balance, complexity and depth. Best drinking 2027+. $29
Jackson Estate Homestead Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021
★★★★½
This bargain-priced red was matured in tanks and oak barrels. Deep, bright ruby, it has a very fresh, youthful bouquet. Full-bodied, it has strong, vibrant cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing excellent depth and cellaring potential. $23
Johner Estate Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2022
★★★★
Already drinking well, this savoury, harmonious red was hand picked from the estate’s younger vines at Gladstone and matured for a year in seasoned French oak barrels. Ruby hued, it is mouthfilling and supple, with very good depth of vibrant, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, gently seasoned with oak, and smooth tannins. $25
Kōparepare Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021
★★★½
Offering good, easy drinking, this red was made by Whitehaven for LegaSea, to help fund its work to restore inshore fisheries to abundance. Bright ruby, it is a medium-bodied style, with satisfying depth of ripe, cherryish, slightly spicy flavours, gently seasoned with oak, fresh acidity and gentle tannins. (12% alc/vol) $27
Luna Estate Martinborough Pinot Noir 2022
★★★★
This good value red was harvested from relatively young vines in the Blue Rock Vineyard. Ruby hued and fragrant, it is a mouthfilling, supple, strongly varietal wine, with ripe cherry and red berry flavours, gentle spicy notes, considerable complexity, and a softly textured finish. A generous, graceful red, it should be at its best mid-2025 onwards. $28
M by Montana Waipara Pinot Noir 2022
★★★½
Bargain-priced, the debut release of this north Canterbury red is ruby hued, fragrant and supple. It has very good depth of ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing some savoury complexity, and easy tannins give it plenty of drink-young charm. $20
Main Divide Pinot Noir 2022
★★★★½
From Pegasus Bay, this blend of north Canterbury and Central Otago grapes was matured for 18 months in French oak barriques. Invitingly perfumed and full-bodied, it has strong cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing very good complexity and harmony, gentle acidity and a seductively smooth finish. A subtle, savoury, finely textured wine, it’s already drinking well. $27
Misha’s Vineyard Tempo Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023
★★★★½
Offering good value, this deep ruby, strongly varietal red is the winery’s “earlier maturing style”. Hand-harvested and matured in French oak hogsheads, it is fragrant, mouthfilling, savoury and supple, with strong cherry, plum and spice flavours, a hint of dark chocolate, good complexity and a finely textured, very harmonious finish. Already delicious, it’s likely to be at its best 2026+. (14% alc/vol) $30
Mission Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir 2022
★★★½
Estate-grown in the Awatere Valley and matured in stainless steel tanks, rather than oak barrels, this ruby-hued red is drinking well now. Full-bodied, it has good depth of fresh, vibrant cherry, plum and spice flavours, a hint of herbs, some savoury notes and a well-rounded finish. Priced sharply. $17
Momo Organic Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023
★★★★
From Seresin, this deep, bright ruby red is certified organic. Freshly scented and vibrantly fruity, it has mouthfilling body and strong cherry, plum and spice flavours. A generous, energetic, very smooth red, it’s drinking well in its youth, but age-worthy, too. $26
Mount Brown Estates Grand Reserve North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2023
★★★★
This estate-grown Waipara red was harvested from mature vines and aged for over a year in French oak barriques. Deep ruby, it is fragrant and full-bodied, with strong cherry, plum and spice flavours, revealing good complexity, fresh acidity and supple tannins. A youthful, vibrant, vigorous red, it’s well worth cellaring. $30
Obliix Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023
★★★½
“Made with approachability in mind,” this estate-grown, upper Awatere Valley red was aged in stainless steel tanks. Bright ruby, it is mouthfilling and supple, with vibrant, ripe, berryish, gently spicy flavours, a touch of complexity and a smooth, finely textured finish. Enjoyable young. $24
Riverby Estate Single Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023
★★★
From “some of the earliest Marlborough pinot noir plantings”, this distinctive red was estate-grown in the heart of the Wairau Valley. Light ruby, with a hint of development, it is a medium, smooth, soft red, with ripe cherry and spice flavours, a hint of nuts, and a suggestion of early maturity. (12.5% alc/vol) $29
Ruru Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022
★★★½
This fresh, lively wine was estate-grown and hand-harvested in Alexandra, and matured for 10 months in French oak casks. Bright ruby, it is medium- to-full-bodied, with moderately concentrated cherry, plum and spice flavours, savoury notes adding complexity, and supple tannins. $28
Starborough Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021
★★★★½
Currently drinking well, this harmonious red was estate-grown in the Awatere (75%) and Wairau (25%) valleys. Full, bright ruby, it is mouthfilling and supple, with generous, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, considerable complexity, gentle tannins and a well-rounded finish. $28
Sugar Loaf Southern Valleys Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021
★★★★½
Priced sharply, this powerful, fruit-packed red was estate-grown in the Southern Valleys and barrel-matured. Deep ruby, it is a full-bodied red, freshly scented, with concentrated, very ripe fruit flavours, savoury notes adding complexity and firm supporting tannins. $28
Terra Sancta Mysterious Diggings Bannockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2024
★★★★½
Crafted for early enjoyment, this ruby-hued red offers fine value. Estate-grown and matured in old French oak barrels, it is medium-to-full-bodied, savoury and supple, with an attractive array of ripe cherry, plum, spice and nut flavours, lively acidity and excellent vibrancy, delicacy, complexity and harmony. Best drinking mid-2026+. $26-$30
Three Paddles Martinborough Pinot Noir 2022
★★★★
From Nga Waka, this rewarding, drink-young style was matured for more than a year in French oak barriques and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Fragrant, sweet-fruited and supple, it has ripe cherry, spice and nutty oak flavours, showing considerable complexity, and good harmony. $30
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023
★★★½
This label has long offered one of the country’s best-value pinot noirs. Bright ruby, the latest release was aged for 10 months in French oak barriques. Full-bodied and supple, it is still youthful, with very good depth of lively cherry, plum and spice flavours, savoury notes adding complexity, and good vigour and harmony. Best drinking mid-2026+. $22-$24
Note: all wines are 13% to 13.5% alc/vol, unless stated otherwise.
