TE KANO KIN PINOT NOIR 2022

If there was ever a wine to be described as having a 'pretty nose' then this is it. Ripe red fruits leap from the glass – raspberry, cranberry, cherry and plum will have your taste buds watering before a little spice and classic Bannockburn wild thyme notes add a layer of interest. Very much in the light-to-medium bodied spectrum of pinot, but certainly not light in complexity, the sheer drinkability here is immense.

Te Kano are a relatively new player on the Central Otago wine scene, but have already made some significant investment into the region – they are really starting to produce some impressive wines!

They have a strong passion for conservation (as well as making delicious wines) and are undergoing some extensive regenerative projects around their Estate vineyards based in Bannockburn, Northburn and Waitaki. Working with organic practices (not yet certified) the care and attention here is obvious and they are definitely a winery to keep an eye on going forward.

Winery notes (2022 Vintage)
"We believe in connections at Te Kano. Between wine and food, grapevines and the soil, people and nature. Our Estate vineyards are testament to this, with organic practices and an extensive Kowhai rejuvenation project strengthening our links with the land we love.

A complex Pinot Noir with aromas of red berry, black cherry, plum and spice. Cherry and red berry fruits and savoury dried herb nuances lead the entry to the palate, with sinewy and textural tannins building towards a long and supple finish."

5 Stars & 93/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, March 2025 (2022 Vintage)
"It's delightfully expressed on the nose, showing sweet cherry, wild strawberry, olive, and toasted nut characters with a hint of spicy overtone. The palate is equally appealing with juicy fruit flavours backed by fleshy texture and silky tannins, offering excellent drinking. At its best: now to 2028."

92/100 Cameron Douglas MS, March 2025 (2022 Vintage)
"Varietal and ripe with aromas of red cherry and strawberry, there’s a mix of wood scents and lees spice quality, dried herb and clay-like soil qualities. Equally ripe and fruity on the palate with flavours that reflect the bouquet plus plum and cedar, vanilla and pressed rose. An abundance of fine tannins and decent acid line frame the fruit nicely, medium+ length with best drinking from day of purchase through 2029."

5 Stars & 93/100 Michael Darby, NZ Wine Writer (2022 Vintage)
"Spiced redcurrants, young strawberry and raspberry, black cherry, laced with a touch of earthiness, dried thyme and white pepper, light on its feet, with a crunchy red-fruited core dancing on a light dusting of smoky minerality and fine tannins with an alpine fresh acidity lifting the lively fruit. A slightly dried herb savoury edge on the finish—finishing precise and pure. Delish!"

5 Stars & 18.5/20 (93) Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, March 2025 (2021 Vintage)
"Medium ruby-red, even colour throughout. The nose is gentle, with youthful aromas of cherry, blackberry, herb and spice. Medium-bodied, aromas of cherry and blackberry entwined with strawberry, cinnamon, black pepper and dried herb. The supple tannins frame the succulent fruit and provide a silky flow along with spice and lively acidity. An approachable, youthful, elegant Pinot Noir. Match with pork and lamb koftas over the next 3 years. A subregional Pinot Noir, fruit from Bannockburn, Waitaki and Northburn, handpicked, destemmed to open-top fermenters, gentle hand plunged over 10-22 days, 13.5% alc."