Central Otago's Pisa range is famous for lobbing up Pinot Noir with extra flavour, and this Lake Hayes Pinot is a bold thing. Dark plum and cooked strawberry fruit and then a bit of a spicy edge to, well, spice things up. At every turn, this is fruit-forward and plush, yet not heavy red, for your immediate drinking pleasure.

Lake Hayes is an offshoot of the Amisfield winery, with this label named after the picturesque, duck-filled lake in front of the winery in NZ's Central Otago region. Stylistically, the wines follow a similar vibe to Amisfield, with bold Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and other bits and pieces to the fore. Where the Lake Hayes wines split is that the grapes come from across the Pisa Range sub-region rather than just the organic Amisfield estate vineyards - it's like an away game, but for Kiwi Pinot Noir. What makes this part of the world so unique is the climate - Central Otago sits on the 45th parallel, one of the world's most southerly wine regions with hot, dry summers and bitterly cold winters. At Amisfield/Lake Hayes, the secret is picking the perfect vineyard sites taking advantage of the endless summer sunshine while seeking shelter from Antarctic winds. The outcome of that grapegrowing balancing act is next-level intensity and plushness, especially in the Pinot Noir wines.