2024 Te Kairanga John Martin Pinot Noir, Martinborough

Fleshy and concentrated with such purity to its fruit, offering aromas of ripe cherries, plums, crushed flowers, citrus and a hint of wet soil. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and compact, with velvety tannins and a mineral backbone. Meaty and mouth-filling. Drink or hold.

94 points Andrii Stetsiuk for James Suckling, October 2025

Lovely violets here alongside purple fruit, boysenberry and raspberry. Vibrant and elegant, very balanced and with sleek submerged tannins. The structure creates excellent flow, allowing the fruit to unfold long and late on the palate. Excellent acidity followed by a gentle grip right on the end, resulting in an elegant mid-weight pinot noir with presence. Very primary currently, it needs time to gain complexity before revealing its true potential. Drink to 2035.

94 points Stephen Wong for The Real Review, September 2025

Bright and fresh-feeling pinot noir with medium-weight intensity and a sense of get-up-and-go. Tart, black cherry, cola notes, some black pepper, a dash of game meat, some mossy notes, a bit of nutmeg. It feels quite polished and fine, with good length of flavour and a nice supple tannin profile in tow. Good, good. Drink to 2030.

92 points Mike Bennie for Halliday Wine Companion, March 2026

The 1984-established Te Kairanga is the largest producer in Martinborough and today in the folds of California-based Foley Family Wines-group along the neighbouring Martinborough Vineyard.

The roughly 100 hectares of estate vineyards are split between two sites on the prime alluvial gravels of Martinborough Terrace and two cooler, elevated inland sites. Fruit from these is supplemented by leased holdings, while some parcels are shared with Martinborough Vineyard.

The large selection of Pinot Noir clones are responsible for almost two-thirds of the production, with smaller amounts of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Riesling. The Pinot-wines tend to stylistically be somewhat plusher and richer than those from the immediate neighbours, with winemaking currently under the direction of John Kavanagh.

The John Martin wines are premium reserve selections made from estate grown fruit. This wine comes from the excellent 2024 vintage, with nearly half of the final blend of the Abel-clone of Pinot.