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PREMIUM

Australia, New Zealand & South Africa Pinot Noir: Panel tasting results

In the second half of our extensive Pinot Noir tasting, at the premium level, above £30, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa proved very strong.

Anne Krebiehl MW, Justin Knock MW and Dirceu Vianna Junior MW tasted 134 wines, with 12 outstanding, 100 highly recommended and 20 recommended.

New World Pinot Noir part II: Panel tasting scores

134 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 12

Highly recommended 100

Recommended 20

Commended 1

Fair 1

Poor 0


Entry criteria: Producers and UK agents were invited to submit their current-release, dry, still 100% Pinot Noir red wines with a minimum retail price of £30 in the UK or equivalent in their domestic market


In a three-day Pinot Noir marathon in late September, we three judges tasted 273 premium examples from North and South America, Australasia and South Africa. There were so many high-scorers – 215 at 90 points or more – that we had to split the results. The wines from Canada, US, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay featured in last month’s November issue, while it is now time for Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to shine.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores from the New World Pinot Noir panel tasting



Australia, New Zealand & South Africa Pinot Noir: Panel tasting scores


The judges

Anne Krebiehl MW is a widely published writer, award-winning author and lecturer with a particular focus, among others, on Pinot Noir and traditional- method sparkling wines from around the globe.

Justin Knock MW is director of wine for luxury merchant Decant London, and has a background in winemaking, brand and generic marketing, education, consultancy and fine wine retail. An Australian national, he was a director of the California Wine Institute UK, and is currently a DWWA joint Regional Chair for Australia.

Dirceu Vianna Junior MW is a wine writer, consultant and educator. Based in the UK since 1989, he was a director at some of the UK’s top distributors. After becoming a Master of Wine in 2008, he co-authored the awarded book Conheça Vinhos (‘Understanding Wine’, in Portuguese).


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