2024 Craggy Range Pinot Noir, Martinborough

Of the six Pinot Noirs from New Zealand to feature in our Top 50 selections since 2018, this is the third to come from Wairarapa’s Martinborough (the other three, unsurprisingly, have been Central Otago wines). This is an uncompromisingly dark wine that plays to New Zealand’s strengths in terms of purity and vivacity of fruit: raspberry, cherry and plum come streaming from the glass, and the fine meshing of fruit and oak in this wine adds to its lustre and appeal. In the mouth, the wine is both long and broad but not in any way clumsy, and the fruit flavours (raspberry to the fore again) are hypnotic. Svelte tannins are barely palpable, so there’s no textural barrier to entry.

97 points Best In Show Deacnter World Wine Awards 2025

Craggy Range Pinot Noir from Martinborough is a refined and expressive cool climate red that reflects the elegance, vibrancy, and precision that this renowned New Zealand region brings to Pinot Noir. This wine offers a beautifully balanced profile of red fruits, floral aromatics, and savoury depth—crafted with the focus and finesse that defines Craggy Range’s approach.

The vineyard sits on two ancient terraces with free-draining gravel soils and a strong maritime influence, allowing for slow, even ripening and exceptional flavour concentration. Cool nights and long growing days help retain acidity and develop the subtle aromatics that make Martinborough Pinot so distinctive.

Grapes are hand picked and fermented in small open top fermenters, with a portion of whole bunches to bring lift and structure. The wine is matured in French oak barriques, around 25 to 30 percent new, for just under a year. This restrained use of oak frames the fruit without masking its clarity.

In the glass, Craggy Range Pinot Noir shows lifted notes of red cherry, raspberry, dried thyme, and soft floral tones, alongside hints of spice and forest floor. The palate is silky and medium bodied with fine tannins, bright acidity, and a savoury, mineral-laced finish. It’s a poised and graceful wine, offering both immediate charm and cellaring potential.

Ideal with duck confit, grilled salmon, or roasted beetroot, this is a polished, site-driven Pinot that showcases Martinborough’s elegance and Craggy Range’s commitment to purity.