2022 Domain Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir, Central Otago

The Domain Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir from Central Otago is a beautifully detailed expression of this world-renowned Pinot Noir region, crafted with precision and respect for its dramatic landscape. Domain Road is a small, family-owned winery in Bannockburn, founded by Graeme and Gillian Crosbie, who planted their first vines in 2002 on land once home to gold miners during Otago’s 19th-century rush. Their vineyards sit on schist, clay and loess soils, with the dry climate and wide diurnal temperature range producing wines of both intensity and finesse.

The Bannockburn Pinot Noir is sourced from estate vineyards, where carefully managed vines are farmed sustainably to capture the character of the site. The 2022 vintage, typical for this wine, brought fruit with excellent concentration and vibrant natural acidity. Hand-harvested grapes are fermented in small open-top vessels, with gentle plunging to extract colour and tannin, before being matured in French oak barriques, a portion of which are new, adding subtle spice and structure.

In the glass it shows a bright ruby hue. Aromatically it is fragrant and layered, with notes of red cherry, raspberry and wild strawberry, lifted by violet and rose petal, and underpinned by hints of thyme and crushed stone. The palate is silky and refined, medium-bodied with juicy red fruits, fine-grained tannins and a savoury earthiness that reflects Bannockburn’s schist soils. The finish is long, vibrant and elegant, driven by bright acidity.

Food pairings highlight its balance and purity: duck breast with cherry glaze, seared salmon, venison carpaccio, or vegetarian dishes like mushroom risotto, beetroot tart or chargrilled eggplant. While delicious young, it has the structure to age for 8 to 10 years, gaining complexity with notes of truffle, forest floor and spice.