They say great wines can be made in bad vintages: while the vintage overall may be disappointing, someone somewhere will succeed in making a great wine. It’s just that the truly great wines are few and far between in a tough year. But, in a good year? Here in New Zealand pinot noir is a barometer for vintage quality and, as you will see below, the results of Cuisine’s latest tasting reveal what those in the wine world already know: 2021 was a spectacular year. The 2021 wines shone bright against their 2022 compatriots, as 2022 was a much more challenging vintage. In 2021 the conditions were fabulous throughout most of the pinot growing regions and winemakers were au fait with how to handle the complex experience that was vintage in a COVID world. The result is a range of pinot noir wines that show their regional style beautifully and that are fantastic to drink straight away, but will also age gracefully.