North Canterbury Wine & Food Festival 2026

Sourced from two vineyards in North Canterbury - the BioGro certified Good Family vineyard on Georges Road planted on Glasnevin Gravels and the Fraher vineyard planted on Omihi clay soils.

Subtle aromas of meadow flowers and lemongrass. Full, mouth-filling texture with subtle notes of lemongrass and dried herbs. Salivating acidity offering the wine length and a moreish quality.

Tasting Note

A blend of four vineyards sustainably farmed, free of artificial chemicals or fertilisers. Primarily whole bunch fermented for 12 - 24 days in open top fermenters with a small amount of Blanc de Noir pressings added during fermentation. Aged in concrete Tulipes, clay amphora and old barrels for 6 months without SO2 before being bottled unfined and unfiltered

Slightly hazy orange hue. Lifted complex nose of spices and florals - almost campari like. An explosion of flavour hits your mouth with Christmas spices and orange rind, soft fine tannins coat the mouth leaving a savoury and moreish finish. A great match with aromatic dishes.

Tasting Note

Sustainably farmed, free of artifi­cial chemicals or fertilisers. Old-vine Pinot Noir, whole-bunch pressed, naturally fermented in seasoned oak.

Pale Salmon hue. Fresh, mineral nose with aromas of watermelon, strawberries and brioche. Clean salivating texture with flavours of watermelon and strawberry, supported by a rich creamy mouthfeel.

Deep crimson hue.

Deep brooding nose of plum and blue fruits with lifted floral spicy notes. Full bodied Pinot Noir with ripe rich fruits, mouth filling texture and round plush tannins giving the wine weight and power that lingers on the palate with a savoury, moreish finish.

Tasting Note

~ 96 Points ~
"There’s no mistaking the sense of place with aromas of white soil and wild flowers, the varietal signature of red berries with cherry and old strawberry sitting nicely alongside  moments of plum then spice. Fine tannins and acidity salivate and coat the palate with texture and finesse while red fruits and wild flowers are at the core and mid-palate. Youthful and new, complex and varietal, a wine of place and time, complexity and charm. Best drinking from 2024 through 2034+."
- Cameron Douglas, MS

Waikare, North Canterbury

Viticulture
Planted between 2000-2002 at 11,111 vines/ha and a second planting in 2018, farmed biodynamically from inception. This unique, south-east facing site has varied soils, graduating from top to bottom on the slope, through primarily shallow (10-15cm) glauconitic clays over well drained limestone.

Winemaking
Crushed and soaked for 4 hours prior to pressing. Wild ferment, in aged French oak barrels. 12 months on lees in barrel, then aged on light lees for 5 months in stainless steel prior to bottling unfined and unfiltered in September 2023.

Tasting notes
Green lemon hue. A complex nose of minerals, flint, lemons, and limes. The palate is taut yet rich, with concentrated flavors reminiscent of lime and samphire. Fine, compact phenolics frame the wine and drive a long, mineral finish. This wine always reminds me of line and length—like train tracks stretching into the distance.

~ 96 POINTS ~
Expansive, succulent white of depth and concentration with pretty lift and complexity from jasmine florals, warm straw, hazelnut and button mushroom savouriness amongst the mandarin, ginger, lime, green apple going on. The supple flow stretches luxuriously through the palate and finishes with a light, building chalky pucker. It’s such a chilled out white, but so much is going on. And gosh it drinks beautifully.
- Mike Bennie, The Wine Front

Tastings Note
Latest Reviews

Waikari, North Canterbury

Viticulture
Planted between 2000-2002 at 11,111 vines/ha and farmed biodynamically from inception. A beautiful, very steep, north-facing block. Coarse, shallow soils that enhance the aromatics; 20% clay, 3-7% active lime.

Winemaking
Carefully hand sorted, fully destemmed and fermented with wild yeasts using infusion methods for 25 days. Settled in tank before being transferred to French wooden barrels. Elevage of 18 months, then bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Tasting notes
Bright ruby hue. Expressive floral nose of rose petals, dried herbs and summer berries, gravelly savouriness, the complexity leaps out of the glass. A finely detailed palate that is mineral and savoury, and a hint of iodine, with flavours of berry compote and fresh sour cherries. A fine, grainy structure and an understated power drives the wine, resulting in a long, subtle finish.

Closure
Cork (Diam Origine 10) and wax seal
The 2023 vintage also brings a change to closure, with all the Botanical Collection wines now sealed with a cork closure, Diam Origine 10. This cork guarantees freedom from cork taint, is bound together by natural beeswax compounds, and has consistent elasticity which guarantees a proper seal with each bottle. The bottle is also finished with a wax cap. This will be our closure for all following vintages, providing customers with real confidence in cellaring and honours the natural luxury idea that sits behind the Pyramid Valley brand.

~ 94 POINTS ~
The 2023 Pinot Noir Angel Flower is dense yet elegant, with the natural tension of its site restraining its fullness to maintain focus and poise. The 2023 offers an understated nose, concentrated flavors of red cherry and rhubarb and resonant woody herbs on the long, sinewy finish. Light, chalky tannins and fresh acidity meet to provide texture and pull in this soulful New Zealand Pinot.
- Rebecca Gibb MW, Red Wine Report

Tasting Note

Hand picked and whole bunch pressed, transferred to barrels without settling. Wild ferment in French oak 28% new, and left on lees without sulphur for 12 months prior to being racked to tank in April 2024 to spend a second winter on light lees. Bottled unfined and unfiltered

Golden Lemon hue with a slight unfiltered haze.
Complex aromas of lemon grass, brioche, citrus fruit and hazelnuts. On the palate it is full and rich with great old vine density, almost a chewy texture. The fresh bright saline acidity tightens up the wine to give it drive and length. Another great example of North Canterbury Chardonnay.

Tasting note