Southern Wines, owned by the Moffit family, is based in Alexandra and produces some excellent value pinot noir under several different labels - Pick & Shovel, Rock n Pillar and Dry Gully.
BEST VALUE
$19
Three and a half stars (out of five)
Good value
Lively, ripe red fruits that dance in the mouth supported by spicy undertones, hints of toasty oak, and a firm, lingering finish. This comes from the Alexandra area.
southernwines.co.nz
$29
Three and a half stars
Good value
From a single vineyard on Earnscleugh Rd, Alexandra, this is powerful with lots of spicy oak but enough fruit to balance it, a silky texture and a lively, fresh aftertaste.
southernwines.co.nz
$25
Three stars
Average value
From vineyards in Bendigo, this hints of stewed berries and cherries, with a light spicy savouriness, a suggestion of mineral, dusty tannins and a lively finish.
mudhouse.co.nz
$32
Three and a half stars
Average value
Although light in colour this isn't light in flavour, with red fruits, spicy oak with hints of dark chocolate, spicy undertones, dusty tannins and a fresh, lively finish. From Moffit family vineyards in Alexandra.
southernwines.co.nz
$39
Three and a half stars
Average value
At four years old, this is mature, slightly funky but nicely mellowed and integrated with red fruits, a hint of lanolin, and still with a fresh finish.info@blackridge.co.nz
$96
Four stars
Below average value
Rockburn's super-premium barrel selection from Gibbston vineyards is a lively, youthful wine with an attractive aroma, charming juicy red fruits, supple dusty tannins, savoury nuances, and refined complexity.
It shows how lovely Gibbston wine can be in a good year, and how it needs time to develop.
rockburn.co.nz
ANOTHER GLASS
Thornbury Central Otago Pinot Noir 2012
$24
Three stars
Average value
Bright with a cerise rim, this is lightly leafy on the nose, the fruit is sweet with a lively edge, and there's lots of flavour, savoury undertones and a hint of spice.
Black Ridge Reserve Central Otago 2006
$65
Four stars
Below average value
Definitely a mature wine, slightly funky with hints of lanolin and spice, but it's nicely mellowed and integrated with red fruits and spicy undertones, yet still fresh and lively. Drinking nicely at present.
