2023 Neudorf Tom's Block Moutere Pinot Noir, Nelson

Grown on the Moutere clay gravels. The wine blossoms with dark cherries, black plums and balsamic glaze. A smattering of dark spices, clove, cassia and five-spice. The wine bristles with firm tannins and threads of taut acidity. It is sumptuous in its plumpness and yet maintains a sturdy framework filled with woody spice. This is mixing business with pleasure, a savvy investment for the cellar but equally joyful drinking now. This sets up the Neudorf pinot scene with great expectations. Thrilling.

93 points Shanteh Wale winecompanion.com.au

There’s no mistaking the sense of place when first nosing this wine, scents of clay and stones then red fruits of plum and cherry. A soft layer of wood smoke with baking spice moments then a fruit spice layers in breadth and depth to a fresh vibrant bouquet. A dry wine with moderate weight touches the palate first then a flourish of red fruit flavours, rose and wood spices follow adding complexity and power. A slightly lighter weighted wine that has complexity and texture. Tannins have a fine grainy feel and acidity carries flavour and crispness throughout the palate. Well made, still very youthful, an excellent food wine choice with best drinking from mid to late 2025 through 2030+.

93 points Cameron Douglas MS camdouglams.com

Mid-ruby. A layered, vertical nose with smoky oak enclosing a core of red fruit. A whiff of something herbal. Plush and concentrated on the palate with a burst of acidity and woody tannins which wrap around the tongue. The melting coulis of fruit in the core is hidden under oak at the moment, but will be accessible in a year or two. Not a wine which needs a long slumber in the cellar as it is quite generous 23 APR 2024 Drink 2025–2036

93 points Stephen Wong MW therealreview.com

Neudorf Tom's Block Moutere Pinot Noir from Nelson is one of New Zealand’s most quietly confident Pinots, delivering elegance, purity and a clear sense of place from a region that often flies under the radar. Crafted with precision by winemaker Todd Stevens, this wine comes from the Upper Moutere hills in Nelson’s north, where clay-rich gravel soils and long, sunlit days create Pinot with depth, spice and fine structure.

Neudorf is a pioneering estate, founded in the late 1970s by Tim and Judy Finn, who helped put Nelson on the map as a serious region for cool-climate winemaking. Sustainability is woven into the DNA of Neudorf’s farming. Organically managed vineyards, minimal intervention in the winery, and a deep respect for the land all contribute to wines that are honest, age-worthy and quietly complex.

Tom’s Block is named after the Finns' son and reflects the estate’s hallmark style: fragrant, finely tuned Pinot Noir with restraint and a subtle wildness. Fruit for this cuvée is drawn from Neudorf’s own Moutere blocks and select grower vineyards, with vines planted in gravelly clay soils that retain moisture and encourage slow, even ripening.

In the glass, Tom’s Block shows lifted aromas of red cherry, raspberry, wild strawberry and dried herbs, with savoury undercurrents of forest floor, black tea and a touch of spice. The palate is silky but layered, with bright acidity, fine tannins and a cool, stony edge that speaks to the Moutere terroir. It’s an unforced, unshowy Pinot, but one that lingers long after the glass is empty.

Fermentation is with indigenous yeasts in small open-top fermenters. A portion of whole bunch is often included for aromatic lift and structure, followed by maturation in French oak, mostly older barrels, to avoid overpowering the fruit.

This is an ideal wine for those who appreciate subtlety in Pinot Noir. It’s drinking beautifully now but will reward cellaring for five to seven years as the earthy, savoury complexity builds.

Pair with roasted duck breast, wild mushroom risotto or grilled salmon with lentils.