Tasting Report: Waipara Valley Pinot Noir
There are many great places to make pinot noir in New Zealand, but I venture you’d feel no greater performance pressure than that felt in Waipara. Making pinot up in this more northerly section of the Canterbury area, you’ll find yourself being measured against such luminaries including Pegasus Bay, Bell Hill, Pyramid Valley and Mountford, not to mention the aura of the great Danny Schuster, which is indelibly cast across the place.

That pressure hasn’t stopped a set of winemakers whose ambitions know no bounds – people like Nicholas Brown at Black Estate, Lynette Hudson (Pegasus Bay and now Tongue in Groove) and Dom Maxwell (Greystone and Muddy Water) – from asserting their rightful influence on a region that is known for smaller quantities of generally very high quality pinot noir.
Climatically, the region derives diversity from two important land formations. The Teviotdale Hills temper the influence of cool sea breezes for part of the region, while the Southern Alps, which actually form the westerly boundary of the region, shelter vineyards from both wind and rainfall.
The region has a set of diverse soils that range from the Glasnevin Gravels south of the Waipara River, the clay and limestone mix of the Omihi soils and the rare limestone outcrops of the Waikari. The resulting wines all share a common character of power with soils putting the style between deeper earthy characters and more ethereal, fine-boned but equally powerful mineral wines.
The quality and definition of tannin set Waipara pinot noir from most other pinot-growing regions in New Zealand – Martinborough being the obvious exception. Its wines have complexity and longevity written into their DNA, and with attractive fruit often being the scene-stealer in many other New Zealand pinot regions, it shares a special place as one of New Zealand’s most exciting terroirs on offer.
Contributing Editor Nick Stock is a renowned Australian wine writer, author, presenter and filmmaker who reports on his worldwide wine tasting experiences for JamesSuckling.com.