2024 Nga Waka 3 Paddles Pinot Noir, Martinborough

Dark cherry, cola, cranberry and nutmeg with bacon bone, powdered coffee, peanut brittle and truffle. Lots of richness and power, almost a breathiness of ripe fruit and woody spice to taste. A lick of freshness closes things well, but the wine does veer into dry reddy territory pretty quickly. For those seeking bolder pinot, this is an option. Drink to 2028.

92 points (Special Value) Mike Bennie for Halliday Wine Companion, February 2026

Up-front and accessible purple fruit with boysenberry, black raspberry and hints of violet candy. This light-bodied but flavoursome pinot noir is trimmed in a subtle woody note and fine, dusty tannins, giving some dimension to the otherwise sweet-fruited palate. For enjoying over the near-term. Drink to 2030.

90 points Stephen Wong for The Real Review, October 2025

Nga Waka is a family-owned wine producer established in the late-1980s. Located in the Martinborough region of New Zealand’s North Island, its name references Nga Waka A Kupe, the three hills that dominate the landscape and in Māori legend are the canoes of the famous Polynesian explorer Kupe, carried inland by an earthquake.

Matt Harper leads the work in Nga Waka’s seven vineyard sites, his work continued in the winery by wine maker. The sites are in the immediate vicinity of the village of Martinborough and accredited by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.