The 2010 Pinot Noir has a medium-deep ruby-purple color and aromas of warm raspberries, red cherries and mulberries with hints of cinnamon stick and mace. Medium bodied with just enough red berry flavor concentration, it has crisp acidity, a low level of chewy tannins and a long finish. Drink it now through 2014. Importer: Winebow; www.winebow.com

The 2009 Yealands Estate Pinot Noir has a medium ruby color and classic red cherry, forest floor, truffle and lavender aromas. Medium bodied and well structured with high acid and a medium level of fine grained tannins, it finishes long and graceful. Drink it now to 2015. Peter Yealands doesn’t do things by halves. When the local landowner set his sights on producing wines he committed 1000 hectares of prime Awatere Valley sea view property to vine. His timing, well, it couldn’t have been worse. But the good news is that with the vines coming into production now, he seems to have chosen a pretty good spot for producing Sauvignons with a bit of character and edge, and at a very good price point. To a lesser extent he’s got a real fruit salad of other vines planted for the purposes of experimentation, which is to be commended. Some of these are already making pretty good wines; one such grape is Gruner Veltliner. Though not reviewed here, I sampled a very promising tank sample that tastes textbook varietally correct. Winemaker Tamra Washington deserves a pat on the back for her skill at crafting good wines from such young vines on scales large and small.Importer: Winebow; www.winebow.com