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Pinot Noir that cleaned up in New Zealand competition ‘pure class’

By Monday 5 November 2018No Comments

A Central Otago Pinot Noir has won the top prize at the inaugural New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards held in Wellington.

The Maude Pinot Noir Central Otago 2017 won the Champion trophy presented by O-I New Zealand as well as scooping up the Fruitfed Supplies Champion Pinot Noir trophy and the Best Wine – Central Otago regional trophy.

Chair of judges Warren Gibson said the Maude Pinot Noir 2017 was very classy example of Pinot Noir in this year’s competition.

“A delicious and complex young wine, juicy and light on its feet,” said Mr Gibson. “Showing beautiful refinement, powdery tannins and loads of controlled power. Pure class.”

Maude Wines is a family-owned wine company that first planted vines on their Mt Maude Vineyard in 1994. They produce award-winning wines from their winery amidst the stunning backdrop of Lake Wanaka in Central Otago.

The revamped New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards competition focuses strongly on celebrating the grapegrower and their single vineyard wines, as well as championing New Zealand wine excellence on a larger scale, with a particular lean towards vineyard excellence and regionality.

“The gold medal list and resulting trophies show that our evolving wine industry is beginning to display a very strong relationship between variety, style and wine region. This link appears far more dramatic than in past awards and suggests we are beginning to find a true sense of place in our very youthful wine industry,” Warren Gibson said.

This year’s competition saw almost 1,400 wines entered.

Top Trophies

Best Organic White Wine
Carrick Bannockburn Riesling Central Otago 2017

Best Organic Red Wine
Carrick Bannockburn Pinot Noir Central Otago 2015

Best Single Vineyard White Wine
Isabel Estate Wild Barrique Chardonnay Marlborough 2017

JF Hillebrand New Zealand Best Single Vineyard Red Wine
Craggy Range Pinot Noir Te Muna Road Vineyard Martinborough 2016

Label and Litho Limited Best Open White Wine
Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2018

QuayConnect Best Open Red Wine
Waipara Hills Pinot Noir Rosé Waipara Valley 2018

Best Wine of Provenance
Auntsfield Cob Cottage Chardonnay 2016, 2010, 2006

New Zealand Wine of the Year Champion Sponsored by O-I New Zealand
Maude Pinot Noir Central Otago 2017

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