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The medal-winning wines from the Pinot Noir Masters 2023

The results in full from this year’s Global Pinot Noir Masters, featuring outstanding wines from Tasmania and California, along with the Loire, Chile and New Zealand, as well as a wonderful sample from Argentina.

Pinot Noir Vineyard sign

PINOT NOIR is a difficult grape variety. It is notoriously finicky both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Thin-skinned, and with tightly packed bunches, the grapes are susceptible to fungal diseases and climatic events. Once in the winery, producers can struggle to get flavours and colour without stalky tannins and bitterness.

So, judging Pinot Noir is always a bit of swings and roundabouts. Some of the wines show poorly, but there are usually enough excellent expressions for a tasting to be deemed a success, and this year’s Global Pinot Noir Masters results are overall very positive.

The small group of Sparkling Blanc de Noirs range from good to exceptional. The very best are aristocrats: delicate red berry fruits and toasty yeast, with density of flavour and creamy mousse texture, supported by fresh acidity. The expensive prices, for Champagne certainly, match the high quality.

Pinot Noir Rosé wines at affordable prices are light and succulent, with rose petal and wild strawberry character and zippy acidity to balance. Of course, some Pinot Noir Rosés from Bourgogne are expensive, but, as serious gastronomic delicacies with texture and complexity, they are worth exploring.

Unoaked red wines in the under-£20 bracket that have been awarded medals exhibit true Pinot character, with succulent cherry fruit and bright acidity. Simple, but elegant, nonetheless. That said, these are groups of wines that vary in quality, with green or stretched flavours sometimes apparent.

With regard to the oaked red wines, it is delightful to see that most producers are becoming more careful with their use of new and highly toasted oak. Most wines had toast, vanilla and spice notes, but not to excess.

There are some wines to like among the oaked expressions at £10-£15. While perhaps not thrilling, many of these are hidden gems, displaying lovely cherry and strawberry fruit, fine texture and nicely balanced tannins, acidity and alcohol. The kiss of oak adds dimension. Not in any way disappointing at that price point. Unsurprisingly, the finer wines in this bracket tend to come from the New World, with the cooler regions of Marlborough in New Zealand and California showing particularly well.

At £20-£30 the noteworthy wines seemed to be those from cooler California (Monterey or Santa Rita Hills), the Willamette Valley in Oregon, New Zealand, or Australia’s Yarra Valley and Tasmania. As variable in quality as this price group is, though, caveat emptor is the watch-phrase.

As expected, there are a number of wonderful wines above £30: complex, layered, textured with concentrated flavours and fantastic balance with appropriate use of oak.

In California, Monterey and Russian River Valley have some cracking wines, and Australia’s Tasmania and Yarra Valley provide delicious offerings too. Elsewhere, Bourgogne shows its truly classic status with lovely, elegant examples, especially at over £50, including a special Premier Cru from Mercurey producer Maison Albert Sounit. There is also a stunningly beautiful wine from the Valais in Switzerland. Most of the wines need more time to be at their best, but, as is often the case with Pinot Noir, many can be consumed at a relatively early age.

In this tasting, Pinot Noir showed its true colours. Like the little girl in the nursery rhyme, “When they were good, they were very, very good; when they were bad, they were horrid.”

  • Scroll down to find out more about the competition, and to see all the medal-winning wines from the 2023 Global Pinot Noir Masters.

Sparkling White Pinot Noir (Blanc de Noirs)

Winery Name of Wine Region Country Vint. Medal
£10-£15
U Mes U 1+1=3 Brut Nature Blanc de Noirs Reserva Cava Spain NV Silver
£20-£30
Az. Agr. Quaquarini Francesco Oltrepò Pavese Pinot Nero Metodo Classico DOCG Lombardy Classes Italy 2015 Silver
£30-£50
Centre Vinicole – Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Champagne France 2014 Gold
Champagne Gremillet Blanc de Noirs Champagne France NV Silver
£50-£70
Champagne Gremillet Millésime Champagne France 2016 Gold
£70-£100
Champagne Bollinger Bollinger Champagne France 2017 Gold

Sparkling Rosé Pinot Noir

Winery Name of wine Region Country Vint. Medal
£100+
Centre Vinicole – Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d’Or Rosé Vintage Champagne France 2008 Silver

Unoaked Rosé Pinot Noir

Winery Name of Wine Region Country Vint. Medal
£15-£20
Wakefield/Taylors Wines Estate Pinot Noir Rosé Adelaide Hills Australia 2022 Silver
£20-£30
Wakefield/Taylors Wines Taylor Made Pinot Noir Rosé Adelaide Hills Australia 2022 Gold

Unoaked Red Pinot Noir

Winery Name of Wine Region Country Vint. Medal
Under £10
Ruppertsberger Weinkeller Hoheburg Imperial Rheinlandpfalz Germany 2021 Silver
Aldi Ireland French Pinot Noir Loire France NV Silver
Cramele Recas Zana Banat Romania 2021 Silver
Cramele Recas Sorcova Banat Romania 2021 Silver
Gérard Bertrand Côte des Roses Languedoc- Roussillon France 2021 Bronze
Labouré Roi Bourgogne Pinot Noir Burgundy France 2022 Bronze
£10-£15
Fecovita Los Helechos Designado Mendoza Argentina 2020 Bronze
Moulin de Gassac Pinot Noir Languedoc Roussillon France 2022 Bronze
Indevin Neptune Point Marlborough New Zealand 2020 Bronze
£15-£20
Viña Morandé Morandé Black Series Malleco Valley Chile 2021 Gold
Devil’s Corner Devil’s Corner Pinot Noir Tasmania Australia 2021 Silver
£20-£30
Herrenhof Lamprecht Pinot Noir from Opok Vulkanland Steiermark Austria 2019 Silver

Oaked Red Pinot Noir

Winery Name of Wine Region Country Vint. Medal
Under £10
Antonin Rodet Grande Sélection Burgundy France 2022 Gold
Viña Indomita Irresistible Casablanca Chile 2022 Silver
De Bortoli Wines De Bortoli Re-Write The Rules Victoria Australia 2021 Silver
Bouchard Aîné & Fils Héritage du Conseiller Burgundy France 2022 Silver
Bouchard Aîné & Fils Grand Conseiller Burgundy France 2022 Bronze
Bouchard Aîné & Fils Pavillon Grande Réserve
Côtes de Beaune Villages
Burgundy France 2021 Bronze
£10-£15
Marisco Vineyards The Ned Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2021 Gold
Kenwood Vineyards Discoveries Pinot Noir California USA 2019 Gold
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir California USA 2021 Silver
Cantina La Vis Pinot Nero Classici Trentino-Alto Adige Italy 2021 Silver
Emiliana Organic Vineyards Novas Gran Reserva Aconcagua Chile 2021 Silver
De Bortoli Wines Regional Reserve Yarra Valley Australia 2021 Silver
Marisco Vineyards Limited Leefield Station Marlborough New Zealand 2021 Silver
Three Thieves Three Thieves California USA 2021 Silver
Yealands Estate Winery Babydoll Marlborough New Zealand 2020 Silver
Ménage à Trois Luscious California USA 2020 Silver
De Bortoli Wines La Boheme Interlude Yarra Valley Australia 2021 Silver
Yealands Estate Winery The Crossings Pinot Noir Awatere Valley New Zealand 2021 Bronze
Cavit Bottega Vinai Pinot Nero Trentino DOC Trentino-Alto Adige Italy 2021 Bronze
£15-£20
Joel Gott Wines Pinot Noir Oregon USA 2021 Gold
Marisco Vineyards Limited The King’s Wrath Marlborough New Zealand 2021 Gold
Emiliana Organic Vineyards Signos de Origen Aconcagua Chile 2021 Gold
The Last Shepherd Last Shepherd Central Otago New Zealand 2021 Gold
Kim Crawford Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2021 Silver
Cavit Brusafer Pinot Nero DOC Trentino Superiore Trentino-Alto Adige Italy 2020 Silver
Viña Casa Silva Cool Coast Colchagua Valley Chile 2022 Silver
Church Road Stoneleigh Rapuara Series Marlborough New Zealand 2020 Silver
Domaine Henry Pellé Menetou-Salon Morogues Centre-Loire France 2020 Silver
Jackson Estate Vintage Widow Marlborough New Zealand 2019 Silver
Seaglass Wine Co. Pinot Noir California USA 2021 Silver
ACW Trisquel Series Curicó Chile 2020 Silver
Maycas Organic Wine Limarí Chile 2020 Silver
te Pa Family Vineyards te Pa Signature Series Marlborough New Zealand 2020 Silver
Spy Valley Wines Satellite Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2020 Silver
Yealands Estate Winery Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Awatere Valley New Zealand 2021 Silver
Meiomi Pinot Noir California USA 2021 Bronze
Krispel Eruption Rot Vulkanland Steiermark Austria 2017 Bronze
Arba Wine Pino Arba Kazakh Almaty Kazakhstan 2016 Bronze
Mission Estate Winery Glazebrook Marlborough New Zealand 2020 Bronze
Brancott Estate Letter Series T Marlborough New Zealand 2022 Bronze
Leth Wagram Reserve Wagram Austria 2020 Bronze
Innocent Bystander Innocent Bystander Yarra Valley Australia 2021 Bronze
Joel Gott Wines Pinot Noir California USA 2021 Bronze
Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve California USA 2020 Bronze
Viña Morandé Morandé Vitis Única Casablanca Valley Chile 2021 Bronze
Arba Wine Pino Arba Almaty Region Kazakhstan 2018 Bronze
£20-£30
The Prisoner Wine Company Unshackled California USA 2021 Gold
Napa Cellars Pinot Noir Napa Valley USA 2019 Gold
De Bortoli Wines Riorret The Abbey Yarra Valley Australia 2020 Gold
De Bortoli Wines Estate Vineyard Yarra Valley Australia 2020 Gold
Santolin Wines Family Reserve Yarra Valley Australia 2022 Gold
Spy Valley Wines Spy Valley Envoy Johnson Marlborough New Zealand 2017 Gold
Domaine Pascal et Nicolas Reverdy La Noue Centre-Loire France 2020 Gold
Spy Valley Wines Spy Valley Envoy Outpost Marlborough New Zealand 2016 Gold
Cambria Estate Winery Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Santa Maria Valley USA 2021 Gold
De Bortoli Wines Riorret Lusatia Park Yarra Valley Australia 2020 Gold
Bream Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir Tasmania Australia 2022 Gold

Oaked Red Pinot Noir, continued

Winery Name of Wine Region Country Vint. Medal
£20-£30
Chamlija Felix Culpa Strandja Mountains Turkey 2020 Silver
Cono Sur 20 Barrels Limited Edition Valparaiso Chile 2020 Silver
Edmond De Rothschild-Heritage NZ Akarua Central Otago New Zealand 2021 Silver
Gebrüder Nittnaus Burgenland Reserve Burgenland Austria 2020 Silver
Church Road Grand Reserve Hawke’s Bay New Zealand 2019 Silver
Viñedos Veramonte Ritual Casablanca Valley Chile 2019 Silver
Seifried Estate Aotea by the Seifried Family Nelson Nelson New Zealand 2021 Silver
Matahiwi Estate Holly Matahiwi Estate Wairarapa New Zealand 2021 Silver
Santolin Wines Family Reserve Yarra Valley Australia 2021 Silver
De Bortoli Wines De Bortoli PHI Yarra Valley Australia 2022 Silver
te Pa Family Vineyards Reserve Collection Taylor River Marlborough New Zealand 2020 Silver
Weingut Wien Cobenzl Ried Bellevue Wien Austria 2017 Silver
Devil’s Corner Resolution Tasmania Australia 2020 Silver
te Pa Family Vineyards Reserve Collection Marlborough New Zealand 2021 Silver
Schmid Tradition Niederösterreich Austria 2021 Silver
Spy Valley Wines Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2020 Silver
Tamar Ridge Pinot Noir Tasmania Australia 2021 Silver
te Pa Family vineyards Organic Marlborough New Zealand 2021 Silver
Feiler-Artinger Ried Ruster Gertberg Burgenland Austria 2018 Bronze
Nautilus Estate Nautilus Southern Valleys Marlborough New Zealand 2020 Bronze
£30-£50
Marimar Estate Vineyards & Winery La Masia Russian River Valley USA 2019 Master
Bream Creek Vineyard Reserve Tasmania Australia 2021 Master
Hahn Family Wines Hahn SLH California USA 2021 Gold
Edmond De Rothschild-Heritage NZ Akarua The Siren Central Otago New Zealand 2019 Gold
Arba Wine Pino Arba Reserve Almaty Kazakhstan 2014 Gold
Domaine Claude Riffault La Noue Centre-Loire France 2020 Gold
Domaine François Crochet Réserve de Marcigoué Centre-Loire France 2020 Gold
Bravium Anderson Valley California USA 2021 Gold
The Prisoner Wine Company Pinot Noir California USA 2021 Gold
Tamar Ridge Research Series Tasmania Australia 2021 Gold
Share A Splash Wine Co Atelier Russian River ValleyUSA 2021 Gold
Cono Sur Ocio Valparaiso Chile 2020 Silver
Haute-Serre Opuscule de Haute-Serre 127 Occitanie France 2020 Silver
Conte Vistarino Bertone Lombardy Italy 2018 Silver
Marisco Vineyards Limited The Journey Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2019 Silver
Gérard Bertrand Domaine de l’Aigle Languedoc- Roussillon France 2021 Silver
Conte Vistarin Pernice Lombardy Italy 2019 Silver
Winzergenossenschaft Achkarren Edition A Superselektion Achkarrer Schloßberg Baden Germany 2020 Silver
Devil’s Corner Mt Amos Tasmania Australia 2019 Silver
Tapanappa Wines Definitus Southern Fleurieu Australia 2019 Silver
Hahn Family Wines Appellation California USA 2021 Silver
Devil’s Corner Mt Done Pinot Syrah Tasmania Australia 2020 Silver
Tamar Ridge Reserve Tasmania Australia 2020 Bronze
£50-£70
Maison Albert Sounit Mercurey 1er Cru Clos des Montaigus Burgundy France 2020 Gold
Domaine Vacheron Belle Dame Centre-Loire France 2020 Gold
Kenwood Vineyards The Barn Sonoma Coast USA 2019 Silver
Tamar Ridge Single Block Tasmania Australia 2020 Silver
£70-£100
Bodega Puerta del Abra Insólito Buenos Aires Argentina 2020 Master
Domaine Jean-René Gemanier Pinot Noir de Vex Clos de la Couta AOC VS Bio Valais Bourgeon Switzerland 2020 Gold
Wente Vineyards nTH Degree Livermore Valley USA 2019 Gold
Bemberg Estate Wines La Linterna Finca Las Piedras Parcela 12 Uco Valley Argentina 2017 Gold
Maison Albert Sounit Mercurey Noblesse Burgundy France 2020 Silver
£100+
Tolosa Winery Primera Pinot Noir Edna Valley USA 2019 Master
Weinmanufaktur Mario Josef Burkhart Malterdingen Rarus Willistein Baden Germany 2018 Silver

About the competition

With high-quality judges and a unique sampling process, The Pinot Noir Masters provides a chance for your wines to star. The 2023 competition was judged on 16 March at The Footman, Mayfair, employing experienced judges. The top wines were awarded Gold, Silver, or Bronze medals according to their result, and those expressions that stood out as being outstanding received the ultimate accolade – the title of Pinot Noir Master. This report features the medal winners only. Please visit the Global Wine Masters website for more information, or, to enter future competitions – giving you the chance to feature online and in print – please call: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com

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