For a time there was a preference that the list of ‘top’ wines should be a Top Ten – a round number that looks neat on the page. Being the pushy one I challenged this thinking as I thought the ‘hard break’ was unfair to wines that deserved a top accolade at positions beyond ten.

The fact is as we hurtle along our wine journey in New Zealand we are getting better at crafting sensational wines. There’s no doubt that the quality of our pinot noir has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years which makes sense seeing the results below – an uneven number of incredible pinots across a range of styles, regions and vintages. While I understand the lack of smooth edges in a list of thirteen might be unnerving for those who like things ‘just so’, your anxieties should be soothed when you taste any of these spectacular pinots selected carefully by Simon Nunns and our superb and highly experienced judging panel.