TWO PADDOCKS THE LAST CHANCE PINOT NOIR 2023

New Zealand Organic Wine Awards 'Sustainable Vineyard of the Year' 2024

“We grow our premium Two Paddocks Pinot Noir entirely on our four small vineyards in Central Otago. In some exceptional vintages, listening carefully, we realise that one of these sites may have something extraordinary to say in its own right. It is only then that we will make one of these very rare single vineyard wines.” — Sam Neill, Proprietor

The Last Chance is a beautifully sited two-hectare terrace perched in bright clear air above the Earnscleugh Valley, carefully planted with well-tended Burgundian clone Pinot Noir. It nestles amongst a small cluster of the world’s most southerly vineyards and takes its name from the watercourse that runs through its heart, hand dug by gold miners in the 1860s. The Last Chance soils are raw schist gravels that are low in fertility and require careful nurturing.

A seamless example of the Last Chance vineyard, showing brilliance, clarity and poise.

Reviews for the 2022 vintage below…

97/100 JamesSuckling.com (2022 Vintage)
"A scented nose of sour cherries, orange peel, dried flowers and baking spices. Medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. Pristine and focused, with plenty of energy and brightness on the palate. Long, vibrant finish. From organically grown grapes."

Rated Outstanding & 96/100 Cameron Douglas MS, November 2025 (2022 Vintage)
"A bouquet that speaks of site first with a powdered clay and stone layer, then core fruit scents of plums and boysenberry, cherry flesh and dried herb, bracken then barrel spice. A focused wine on the palate, taut and youthful still, an abundance of tannins with textures of needles and fine nails. French oak and wood spice add complexity and power while the acidity picks up all the flavours and distributes them evenly through the palate. A wine with elegance and some muscle with a lengthy finish. Best drinking from 2027 through 2036."

95/100 Susie Barrie MW & Peter Richards MW (UK), Susie & Peter New Zealand Wines of the Year 2026 (2022 Vintage)
"Visiting the Last Chance vineyard, perched in bright clear air above the Earnscleugh Valley, with its panoramic views and perky Pinot Noir vines, is one of life’s great wine experiences. So it’s wonderful to be able to experience this special spot vicariously through the wine, too, one of many impressive Pinot Noirs from the Two Paddocks stable. This is one of the world’s most southerly vineyards and its name comes from the watercourse that runs through the heart of the property, hand dug by gold miners in the 1860s. Soils are schist gravels and winemaking in this vintage involved 85% whole-bunch fermentation then 12 months in French oak barrels (18% new). There’s real intensity and energy here, from the dark plum and wild berry fruit to the flinty, baked thyme notes and mineral, structured palate profile. A bold, heart-warming style that develops in the glass."