New Zealand wine Southern Tor named as one of the best pinots in the world

The best red wine in the world. Photo / Kelsey Knight on Unsplash

A New Zealand pinot noir has been awarded “Best In Show” in the Decanter World Wine Awards, and we’ve even beaten the French.

Central Otago’s McArthur Ridge Southern Tor Pinot Noir 2022 scored an impressive 97 points out of 100. Only two other pinots from the hemisphere also shared the accolade: the Lowestoft Single Vineyard Jacoben Pinot Noir (Tasmania) and the Bay of Fires Pinot Noir (Tasmania) - both garnered the same number of points as the Kiwi competitor.

On the achievement, McArthur Ridge international sales manager Jason Dellaca says: “Our sole focus as a team is to produce the best wines possible from each vintage, and to be globally recognised for this hard work is extremely rewarding for everyone at McArthur Ridge.”

McArthur Ridge Southern Tor Pinot Noir 2022 has won "Best In Show" at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2024.

With roots dating back to the late 1800s, McArthur Ridge is an expert in the game. The expansive vineyard - which once upon a time was just a desert - lays in the charming yet rugged Alexandra Valley. Its cool climate and striking mountainous terrain shape the unique character of the wines, and, in the case of this winning pinot, also inspired its name. Southern Tor is “exposed rock mass thought to be formed by freeze-thaw weathering found throughout the Alexandra region”.

The winery fell short of making Viva’s Top 50 wineries, however, with Rippon Wineyard in Wānaka taking out its supreme award, nor their list of best red wines from the NZ Wine Awards.

But what does a glass of McArthur Ridge Southern Tor Pinot Noir taste like?

Decantar’s tasting notes state, “It’s a translucent dark red in colour, with articulate aromas of warm red berries, red cherries and root spice. It’s softly articulated on the palate and sweet-fruited, with great grace and poise. The wine’s structure comes more prominently from its acidity than from its relatively discreet tannin profile. In just two years, it has already begun to soften and open; look out for stones and a herbal complexity as well as root spice on the finish.”

It’s also great value, costing less than $40 a bottle which you can find at any good local wine stockist.

The Decanter World Wine Awards are the world’s largest and most influential wine competition. More than 18,000 wines were sampled as part of a rigorous judging process.

mcarthurridge.com