2024 Chard Farm River Run Pinot Noir, Central Otago

Bright ruby with aromas and flavours of red cherry, red plum and raspberry fruits dusted with Medina spice, crushed schist, wildflowers, dried meats, mountain herbs and undergrowth. It's purely fruited, shows plenty of drive and mineral vivacity and has a tannin profile that is chewy, rocky and fine. There's definitely a lot to like here at a sharp price. Drink to 2034.

92 points Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion, August 2026

This wine opens with black cherry and currant aromas, with lifted earthy and herbaceous notes emerging as it sits in the glass. The palate is bright and fresh, continuing the theme set by the nose, with sleek, fine tannins providing support to the fruit.

The wine's herbaceous lift and savoury earthiness call for a dish with a little spice and green freshness to match, while the bright cherry fruit and fine tannins keep things food-friendly rather than heavy. Five-spice pork belly with a herb salad, or a Vietnamese-style pork and lemongrass claypot, sit naturally alongside.

More about this wine

River Run is a regional blend of Pinot Noir made with estate grown fruit from different subregions of Central Otago: Lowburn for bright, fresh and sweet fruit, Gibbston for savoury and herbal tones, and Parkburn for good texture and mineral length.

About Chard Farm

Chard Farm is a family business founded in 1987 by Rob Hay and Gerdi Schumann. Located on a spectacular terrace above the Kawarau River at the entrance to the Gibbston Valley, the site was originally settled by the Chard family in the 1860s and its market garden provided food for the miners in the district during the gold rush era of Central Otago.

A winery was built in 1993, and the original vineyard has grown to ten sites across the Gibbston Valley, Lowburn and Parkburn subregions.