The best of Central Otago pinot noir is highlighted in the inaugural Central Dozen wine pack

The recently announced inaugural Central Dozen is great news for lovers of New Zealand pinot noir, specifically from the renowned region of Central Otago.

This new project from the Central Otago Winegrowers Association is designed to provide an annual snapshot of pinot noir in the region. The inaugural Dozen features 12 standout wines from the 2022 vintage, blind-tasted and chosen by a distinguished panel led by Kiwi Master of Wine Emma Jenkins.

The panel, which included experienced local winemakers Jen Parr (Valli), Francis Hutt (Carrick Wines) and Blair Walter (Felton Road), blind-tasted their way through 74 wines to reach a shortlist of 20, which they then whittled down to the final dozen. 

“I am thrilled to have been involved in selecting the inaugural Central Otago Dozen,” says Emma, “but it was no easy task! The quality and consistency of the 2022 vintage was on full display, and there were many ways we could have made the final selection, but we were keen to not just deliver you the ‘shiniest’ wines, or a list of the usual suspects.  

“Instead, we looked for wines that not only justified their inclusion via the usual high-quality parameters (balance, intensity, length, complexity, harmony, and general deliciousness) but also stood out by representing both the 2022 vintage and key aspects of Central Otago winegrowing. 

“These aspects include subregional expression, single vineyard or block delineation, sophisticated winemaking, old people doing things on new sites, new people doing things on old sites, building upon ‘old’ knowledge, or consistency across volume and/or region,” she adds.

The 2022 vintage in Central Otago was excellent, with a growing season that allowed viticulturists and winemakers to make planned picking decisions – rather than having their hands forced by nature.

Temperatures throughout the growing season were slightly above average, and while there were a couple of frosts in early September, they thankfully hit before budburst. 

Rain fell at optimal times during spring and summer (one decent event during February worked out particularly beneficial quality-wise), and the weeks preceding and including harvest were fine, dry and hot, with decent diurnal variance – factors which both eliminated disease pressure and created perfect conditions for flavour and physiological ripeness.

In short, 2022 is a very strong vintage indeed, and if I were to draw comparisons to the past, it would sit alongside other strong years such as 2007 and 2014.

Because the season was so kind, subregional transparency and nuance really came to the fore, which is represented in the Central Dozen. From the aromatic detail and clarity of Gibbston through to the pure fruit and compression of the wines of Bendigo and Bannockburn, each of the 12 wines selected speak clearly of the land from which they sprang.

The Central Dozen is a great initiative, highlighting the inherent deliciousness of the wines from one of New Zealand’s most famous wine regions. For those willing to geek out, it also offers a deep dive into the nuance of Central Otago terroir.

The inaugural Central Dozen features the below wines from the 2022 vintage:

• Mount Edward Pisa Terrace Pinot Noir
• Valli Bendigo Vineyard Pinot Noir
• Quartz Reef Royal Series ‘Anna Von Tirol’ Pinot Noir
• High Garden Vineyard Pinot Noir
• McArthur Ridge Southern Tor Pinot Noir
• Carrick Limited Release Arthur’s Vineyard Pinot Noir
• Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Noir
• Gibbston Valley Glenlee Pinot Noir
• Te Kano Land Northburn Pinot Noir
• Mora Vale Pinot Noir
• Felton Road MacMuir Pinot Noir
• Maude Estate Pinot Noir

Top image: Mishas Vineyard courtesy of New Zealand Wine.