Log in for prices and ordering

Pyramid Valley

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Hand-on-Heart, World Class North Canterbury & Friends
Pyramid Valley
Hosting Pyramid Valley winemaker Huw Kinch this week has been such a pleasure. For those who have not had the chance to meet Huw, he’s a deeply knowledgeable guy, and, as the French might say, he has a great head on his shoulders. He’s also great company, but we don’t want to rub it in. Huw was born and raised in Cooma in the Snowy Mountains and moved to New Zealand in 2007. After 10 years at Escarpment in Martinborough on the North Island, he was enticed down south in 2018 to help author Pyramid Valley’s new adventure.

Transitions do not always go as seamlessly and respectably as at Pyramid Valley. Over the years, we have said goodbye to several previously impressive producers whose new owners clearly didn’t ‘get it’. Rather than wearing Claudia and Mike Weersing’s exceptional legacy like a millstone, Kinch has won the hearts and minds of Pyramid Valley drinkers old and new through his wines. Mike Bennie put it well earlier this week:

None of this suggests Kinch & Co are reinventing the past. Quite the contrary! Kinch has more tools at his disposal than Mike Weersing ever did, not least a high-density pool of talent that includes former Felton Road viticulturist Nick Paulin and, of course, the vast experience and savvy of Steve Smith MW. With each season, the growing becomes more precise just as the wines—estate and otherwise—become more refined and vivid without losing their artisanal charisma. Which brings us to the new releases…

The Wines

These releases fall into what Pyramid Valley calls its Colours and Pastures labels. The Pastures Collection is sourced from what Pyramid deems elite vineyards and is made in the same earth-to-glass spirit as Pyramid’s iconic Botanical Collection. With the Colours Collection, Pyramid Valley goes into exploratory mode, with creative blending, fermentation on skins and the like. After the Waipara frosts wiped out the Waikari home vineyard in 2021, the Botanical Collection is back in full force from 2022. Keep an eye out for them later this spring...

The Wines

Pyramid Valley North Canterbury Sauvignon + 2023

Pyramid Valley North Canterbury Sauvignon + 2023

The best release yet under this label, the ’23 is 100% Sauvignon sourced from two vineyards in North Canterbury: the BioGro-certified Good Family Vineyard planted on Glasnevin Gravels, and the Fraher Vineyard planted on Omihi clay soils. Fruit from both sites is pressed as bunches before the juice ferments in tulip-shaped concrete vats and a few old barrels. This year, 8% skin fermentation and malolactic conversion naturally balance the Sauvignon’s piercing acidity while supporting its innate vibrancy. It’s a cracking release with a pulpy, multi-layered palate enlivened by mouth-watering acidity and tension. In many ways, it is the antithesis of what you might expect from a New Zealand savvy. It’s a don’t-miss for this unique wine.

“Delicate, ethereal, bone-dry sauvignon with subtle power and appealing purity. Pink grapefruit, fresh herbs and a suggestion of wildflowers add extra complexity to a wine that is clearly made with a light touch.”
94 points, Bob Campbell, the Real Review
“This is really something for the vintage, with sliced apricots, orange peel, dried flowers and flint. It’s medium-bodied with nutty and floral undertones to the flavorful finish of caramel apples. Hints of matchstick and smoke at the end.”
94 points, James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
“Light straw with aromas of gooseberry, fleshy stone fruits and Meyer lemon with hints of grapefruit pith, crushed rock, wildflowers, alpine meadow, guava juice, goat curd and passionfruit cream. Some lightly crushed herbs way back in the distance on the palate, some nice textural slinkiness, porcelain acidity and a wicked 'sucking on a river pebble' savoury line. Woo wee, it's great complex drinking.” 94 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
94 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
Pyramid Valley North Canterbury Sauvignon + 2023
Pyramid Valley Marlborough Weaver Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Pyramid Valley Marlborough Weaver Sauvignon Blanc 2022

This is our second allocation of this limited single-vineyard release, which sits alongside the Springs Chardonnay and Korimako Pinot Noir. The fruit for Weaver is selectively harvested by hand from Sam and Mandy Weaver’s certified-organic, biodynamically farmed Churton vineyard. Huw Kinch says they chose this vineyard because it shows the heights Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc can reach. Churton sits 200 metres above sea level on a hillside between the Waihopai and Omaka Valleys. Pyramid Valley selected a parcel from the northeast-facing slope on loess above clay subsoil.

The grapes were picked on 31st March and fermented in concrete instead of oak this year (and all the better for it). The wine fermented with indigenous yeasts and was left on lees for eight months before a further four months’ aging in neutral oak. This is proper, grownup, unfiltered Sauvignon Blanc with contours of chalk surrounding a palate of sweet mint and juicy limes. Cracking texture, too, sculpted by mouth-watering energy and chalky drive. At once serene yet full of character—surely one of the most exciting and ambitious wines to come out of Marlborough’s southern hills, and doesn’t it work!

“It still has the regional lift and zing but texture is the great plus here, chalky, somewhat chewy, dry and minerally through the finish. You’d also readily comment that the concentration of flavour is impressive, but wholly balanced with savoury, nutty elements, herbal inflection and that distinct, stony mineral quality. It feels fine wine from hello. Complex and outstanding expression, and one for the cellar.”
94 points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
“Rich, weighty and savoury sauvignon blanc with an appealing bone-dry texture and sophisticated style that makes it a perfect food wine. Serious sauvignon that should develop well with bottle age.”
93 points, Bob Campbell, the Real Review
“It still has the regional lift and zing but texture is the great plus here, chalky, somewhat chewy, dry and minerally through the finish. You’d also readily comment that the concentration of flavour is impressive, but wholly balanced with savoury, nutty elements, herbal inflection and that distinct, stony mineral quality. It feels fine wine from hello. Complex and outstanding expression, and one for the cellar.”
94 points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
Pyramid Valley Marlborough Weaver Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Pyramid Valley North Canterbury Orange 2023

Pyramid Valley North Canterbury Orange 2023

It tastes like Huw Kinch is on a personal mission to make the best dammed orange wine in the southern hemisphere. And he’s getting there! This year’s blend comprises 62% Pinot Gris, 23% Sauvignon Blanc, 14% Pinot Noir (vinified as a white) and the merest seasoning of Gewürztraminer, Muscat and Viognier. The wine brings together four vineyards that are sustainably farmed, free of artificial chemicals or fertilisers: the Course-Choi Vineyard (previously Porters) on Mackenzies Road; the Good Family Vineyard and Fraher Vineyard on Omihi Clay soils in North Canterbury; and Pinot Noir from Pyramid Valley’s Lowburn vineyard in Central Otago.

The fruit is primarily vinified as bunches for 12 to 24 days in open-top fermenters with a small amount of ‘Blanc de Noir’ pressings added during fermentation. The wines age in concrete and old barrels for six months without sulphur. “We want to make an Orange that’s balanced between the tannins and fruit weight,” Kinch explains. “So finer, lighter tannins, something that matches our cooler climate.” Max Allen commented on this wine’s premier release: “Oh, if only all orange wines were as downright delicious and as beautiful as this.” It has only kicked on since then. So moreish and tangy with a juicy palate and dry, powdery close licked by Campari-like bitters. Tangerine dream!

“I love the tangerines, cloves, nutmeg, flint, rose petals and smoke. Medium-bodied with lovely density and hints of fine tannins. This is a sophisticated and polished orange wine.”
93 points, James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
“Phwoar! ... this looks and smells wicked. Hazy orange in the glass with aromas of cold peach tea, watered down apricot nectar, pressed wildflowers, souk-like spices, Campari and soda, crushed herbs, amaro, crushed rock and dried tangerine rind. Dry and stony with a swoop of texture, leaving a pithy feel on the tongue and a savoury and endlessly complex exit with plenty of minerally energy.”
93 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
Pyramid Valley North Canterbury Orange 2023
Pyramid Valley North Canterbury Chardonnay 2022

Pyramid Valley North Canterbury Chardonnay 2022

The North Canterbury Chardonnay comes from two vineyards, principally Waipara Springs, where old-vine Mendoza Chardonnay grows on the Omihi clay soils. This year’s release includes one barrel of first-crop Chardonnay from Pyramid’s organic Central Otago farm in Lowburn. Hand-harvested several weeks later than in 2021, the must fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in 20% new French oak and 40% concrete ‘Tuilpes’ for 12 months before settling in concrete on light lees for another four months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, it’s a super classy, flinty expression, with savoury cashew notes supported by ripe stone and citrus fruits tethered by underlying salinity.

“This is extremely well-made, with sliced dried apples, apple tart, flint and matchstick as well as a hints of smoke. It’s medium-bodied with lovely fruit and a light bitterness that gives complexity and presence.” 95 points, James Suckling, jamessuckling.com





“This is extremely well-made, with sliced dried apples, apple tart, flint and matchstick as well as a hints of smoke. It’s medium-bodied with lovely fruit and a light bitterness that gives complexity and presence.”
95 points, James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
“Intense and appealing chardonnay with white peach, fresh herbs, citrus/lemon curd and a subtle green apple flavour. Deliciously textural wine with a silken and ethereal influence together with a contrasting juicy acidity.”
95 points, Bob Campbell, the Real Review
“Has stacks of flavour and lots of personality. Great waves and slosh of red apple, gingery spice, just-ripe nectarine, honey nut Cornflakes, sugared almonds and a strong, almost Champagne like rapier thrust of saline minerality. Whoosh! That draw and tuck of brine is just awesome and so refreshing, and so much pretty flesh and flavour hangs off it. A very complete and compelling wine.”
94 points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
“Waipara-born chardonnay matured in 62% French oak barrels (20% new) and 38% in a concrete Tulipe for 12 months before settling in a concrete Tulipe on light lees for a further 5 months. Light straw with aromas of white peach, apple and citrus fruit with hints of wildflowers, grilled nuts, clotted cream, lemon rind, peach tea, soft spice and crushed stone. Some nice lees-y complexity; texture, too, with a bright, nervy mineral cadence.”
94 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
Pyramid Valley North Canterbury Chardonnay 2022
Pyramid Valley Springs Chardonnay 2022

Pyramid Valley Springs Chardonnay 2022

Waipara’s Springs Vineyard is home to a single plot of 40-year-old vines, thought to be some of the—if not the—oldest in the country. The own-rooted Mendoza clone vines bury deep into the Omihi clay soils, and the age of the vines is far from the only attraction here. Sheltered by the Teviot hills from the prevailing cool easterly winds, the site’s relatively high midsummer warmth and low rainfall during the growing season make for a unique location in a marginal climate. The set of conditions has not been lost on Pyramid Valley, which has been leasing and managing this vineyard (without synthetic chemicals or fertilisers) since 2019.

Stomped by foot and spontaneously fermented with high solids in French oak, the 2022 aged for 12 months on full lees without sulphur. It was then racked and blended to concrete Tulipes, where it rested on fine lees for another six months. The result is awash with complex umami (salty/nutty/flinty) tones and compact stone-fruited presence seamlessly bolted onto Northern European verticality with an alluringly coiled finish. The Force is strong with this one.

“Savoury characters are a feature of this wine, giving it a real sense of place. Intense flavours suggest good cellaring potential although the wine is already fairly tasty.”
96 points, Bob Campbell, The Real Review
“Pretty combination of fresh fruit and hints of wood fermentation and aging. Full and layered, with a texture that shows structure and brightness. Long and very flavorful.”
94 points, James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
“Flesh and pulp, charisma and depth of flavour. It feels fresh with its course of mandarin and pink grapefruit juice under honey toast, red apple, cashew nuts, talc, lime and flinty mineral elements. Has a slurpiness, a loose knit kind of frisky appeal and a deliciousness in the ‘comfort food of chardonnay’ kind of way, though there’s so much detail in mineral, fruit, judicious oak seasoning and savouriness to elevate. Lovely stuff.”
94 points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
“Mendoza clone chardonnay from the Springs Vineyard on Omihi clay soils, planted between 1982–1986; barrel fermented and aged on full lees for 12 months before racking to concrete tulip for a further 6 months. Light straw. Ripe white peach and nectarine fruits, soft spice, nougat, wild flowers and crushed rock. Plenty of fruit volume here, a sense of compression, too, before tightening on the mid-palate with a lightly pithy, textural tug and abundant minerally energy on the exit.”
94 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
Pyramid Valley Springs Chardonnay 2022
Pyramid Valley North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2021

Pyramid Valley North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2021

This wine brings together three vineyards in North Canterbury: Three Sisters on Mackenzies Road in Waipara, planted on Rangitata gravels; the Porters family vineyard on Mackenzies Road in Waipara, planted in 2004 on Domett Clay soils on an east-facing slope; and the Springs vineyard planted in the early 1980s on Omihi clay soils.

The grapes were picked by hand and fermented with indigenous yeasts in open-top fermenters, with 20% whole bunches included. The wine aged in French oak barrels (20% new) for 12 months before settling in stainless steel on light lees for a further six months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, the wine opens with a layered aroma of red plum pit and pretty, lifted floral, spice and dried herb notes. The palate is deep and silky, flecked with ripe plums, liquorice, and more dried-herb flavours perfectly framed by graceful, plush tannins. The finish has a lovely structure, which tapers to a long, savoury and moreish finish.


“Rich, concentrated, fleshy pinot noir with ripe plum, cassis, savoury/dried herb and subtle dark chocolate flavours. Bold, complex wine that is accessible now but has the structure to get even better with bottle age.”
94 points, Bob Campbell, the Real Review
“A brilliance and sweetness of fruit on the nose with cherries and lightly dried strawberries. Orange peel undertones. Medium- to full-bodied, with a tightness and firmness in texture from the linear tannins that hold the wine tight and focused. Very pretty already but needs a few years to fully come together.”
95 points, Jamessuckling.com
“The 2021 North Canterbury Pinot Noir is densely colored in the glass and leads with a far more brooding and saturated nose than the cool 2022 tasted beside. In the mouth, the wine is complex, deep and expansive, with black cherry, tapenade, hints of clove, dehydrated star anise and a hint of salted licorice through the finish. This vintage saw smaller crops, smaller berries and a warm season. There’s also a small amount of whole bunch here, which creates the capacious mid-palate. Also, the 2022 has no whole bunch, yet it tastes spicy and “bunchy,” while here, the whole bunch is aromatically invisible and evident in the exoticism through the finish, the structure and the mid-palate openness. A different expression for a different palate to 2022, but both are wonderful. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.”
92+ points, Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate
“These are special wines for me. My parents' property is a couple of kilometres up the road and I spent many hours walking rows, buggering around in soil pits and having long lunches with original owners Mike and Claudia Weersing as they established their beautiful property. The wines are world class. Wonderfully spiced, plush plum and blue fruits, cascading fine tannins and a defined calcareous cadence born of an outstanding terroir, finishing long, savoury and true.”
95 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
Pyramid Valley North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2021
Pyramid Valley Central Otago Manata Pinot Noir 2021

Pyramid Valley Central Otago Manata Pinot Noir 2021

Pyramid Valley opened a new chapter of its story in 2018 when it purchased Jean and Roger Gibson’s highly regarded Lowburn Ferry vineyard in Central Otago’s Lowburn sub-region. Already winning national awards by 2003, the site was planted in 2000 on a gentle, north-facing slope with 30% own-rooted vines and a mix of clones—some of the oldest Pinot vines in Otago. A supplement of higher-density Pinot Noir was planted on a lower terrace in 2018 by Pyramid Valley’s biodynamic specialist, Nick Paulin, who lives on and manages the property.

Now renamed Manata, paying homage to a romantic Māori legend of this region, soils are predominantly loess over deep silts that have developed pedogenic lime deposits. 2021 was the final year of organic conversion; as of 2022, the site has been certified organic by BioGro NZ. There are two wines made from this vineyard. The Manata Pinot is a selection of blocks, while a single-parcel Pinot Noir called Snake Tongue now forms part of the Botanical Selection.

The grapes were hand-picked and fermented with indigenous yeasts in open-top concrete and oak fermenters, with 15% whole bunches included. The wine aged in French oak barrels (25% new) for 12 months before settling in concrete and wooden cuves on light lees for a further six months. All parties involved are clearly besotted by this “special” vineyard whose wine manifests the dark berry plushness and energy of Central Otago, allied to silky structure and impressive ageing potential.


“Manata is a vineyard in Lowburn, Central Otago which has been cultivated as a market garden for 150 years to produce soils that are high in organic matter. Dense, rich and concentrated pinot noir with cassis, ripe plum, and mocha flavours. Seductive, accessible and tantalisingly complex wine with development potential.”
96 points, Bob Campbell, the Real Review
“Sweet cherry and strawberry with cedar, light tar and stone aromas along with some vanilla bean that follows through to a full body with round and polished tannins and a crunchy finish. A savory tone to the fruit makes this very attractive and enticing. Fine and firm tannined finish.”
94 points, Jamessuckling.com
“The 2021 Manata Pinot Noir is distinctly soft, rolling and round—it sort of flows across the palate in a liquid kind of way (despite the fact that it is, actually, liquid). It's all dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee grounds, black pudding, dark cherry, plum skin and bay leaf. This is a soft, pillowy wine that has magnitude and gravitas through the finish, which is a pleasurable offset. A red apple core at the heart of the wine keeps me coming back for more... a good attribute in a wine. “Those dark characters may be the impact of the last five days of harvest, where we had strong warm northwest winds. It hit 30 degrees occasionally," says Steve Smith, MW. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.”
93 points, Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate
“A wonderfully expressive pinot noir from the Manata vineyard in Lowburn that shows effusive, pure dark plum and cherry fruits with an underlayer of fine spice, vanilla essence, mocha, thyme, wildflowers, dried orange rind and crushed rocks. Very calm and composed on the palate. Fruit-pure and ripe, spice and crushed herbs in layers, tannins powdery fine, bright, lacy acidity and an almost ferrous savouriness to its exit.”
95 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
Pyramid Valley Central Otago Manata Pinot Noir 2021

“Huw Kinch is writing the second chapter and best possible one for Pyramid Valley. There’s so much storied history of its Mike and Claudia era that it’s hard to judge where to go, so best to go with hand on heart, maintain the best practice farming, and go for the best hands-off, mind-connected wines you can make, seems the deal.” Mike Bennie, The Wine Front



“You may think you know New Zealand wines but I can assure you that until you have tasted Pyramid Valley, you have no idea. The results speak for themselves: astonishingly good, terroir-expressive wines that will challenge all your preconceptions.” Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate



“Sometimes you taste a wine for the first time and it’s so fabulous, so new, so different, that you’re overwhelmed by a desire to visit the vineyard where the grapes were grown.” Max Allen, Australian Financial Review



“All the current white releases have a seriousness to them, a sense of extract and substance. Aromatics are understated rather than the main event, focusing on careful handling (hand-harvesting, whole-bunch pressing, wild fermentation, etc.).” Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous

Other Recent Releases

  • Larmandier-Bernier
    Larmandier-Bernier
    While this is a Domaine already long revered for the excellence of its wines, it contin...
    While this is a Domaine already long revered for the excellence of its wines, it continues to progress at pace. Sophie and Pierre Larmandier’s two ...

    Read more

  • Bannockburn Spring Releases
    Bannockburn Spring Releases
    Where there is smoke, there is fire. It’s not just the quality of Bannockburn’s Chardon...
    Where there is smoke, there is fire. It’s not just the quality of Bannockburn’s Chardonnay and Pinot that has transformed over the years. “When you...

    Read more

  • Spinifex
    Spinifex
    Spinifex’s portfolio is stacked with quality, yet two wines play a particularly signifi...
    Spinifex’s portfolio is stacked with quality, yet two wines play a particularly significant role in Pete and Magali’s story. Indigene has been a co...

    Read more

  • 2024 Grower Champagne Offer
    2024 Grower Champagne Offer
    As the weather warms, the blossoms bloom, and once again, the Champagne starts to flow....
    As the weather warms, the blossoms bloom, and once again, the Champagne starts to flow. So, it’s time to put out our annual grower Champagne offer ...

    Read more

  • Joh. Jos. Prüm ’22
    Joh. Jos. Prüm ’22
    Mosel Riesling is one of the most distinctive, graceful and transparent wines on the pl...
    Mosel Riesling is one of the most distinctive, graceful and transparent wines on the planet, and Joh. Jos. Prüm stands tall as one of its most reve...

    Read more

  • Bernard Defaix: The Director’s Cut
    Bernard Defaix: The Director’s Cut
    Today, we offer a new tranche of Defaix’s cracking 2022 wines, plus the first arrivals ...
    Today, we offer a new tranche of Defaix’s cracking 2022 wines, plus the first arrivals from 2023. The latest ‘22s include the Côte de Léchet Réserv...

    Read more

  • Robert Weil
    Robert Weil
    Like Italy and France, Germany has more than its fair share of revered historic hillsid...
    Like Italy and France, Germany has more than its fair share of revered historic hillside vineyards. Few of these can match the history and majesty ...

    Read more

  • Thomas Wines
    Thomas Wines
    With spring comes Semillon. The 2024 season went by in a flash, and the wines are rarin...
    With spring comes Semillon. The 2024 season went by in a flash, and the wines are raring to go. Andrew Thomas can't recall an earlier harvest in hi...

    Read more

View All Offers

More Content

Read more about this producer