Can’t decide which wine is right for you or need help with your order? Please call so we can help
0333 772 0301
Pegasus Bay is an award-winning, family-owned winery based on the South Island of New Zealand in Waipara Valley. The Donaldson family produce their Pinot Noir using classic Burgundian techniques resulting in a French style Burgundy but with New Zealand Pinot Noir depth and body, the best of both worlds. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate describes it as "often reminiscent of Morey-Saint-Denis".
Pegasus Bay summarises the vineyard and why it produces such high quality grapes: "Within the Waipara Valley Pegasus Bay vineyard gets maximum protection from the Pacific’s easterly breezes by being tucked up under the lee of the Teviotdale Range. Its sheltered position, but proximity to the sea, give it warm days, cool nights and a dry autumn, resulting in a very prolonged ripening period. This promotes intense flavour development and optimal ripeness, while retaining good natural acidity." Pegasus Bay practises sustainable viticulture, using natural methods to counteract pest and diseases rather than applying pesticides and herbicides.
I am rarely if ever disappointed in Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir and I wrote about in 2017 that I thought the wine gets more and more elegant as the years pass by. At an online wine tasting with the vineyard in summer 2021 I learned that this has been intentional, the aim being to move away from what used to be a big, "muscular" style of Pinot tasting of black fruits to a more vibrant, perfumed Pinot tasting of red fruits and with softer tannins. This 2018 vintage is one of the most elegant yet and more Burgundian in style than some previous vintages.
Recommended to eat with chicken, duck, goose, pigeon, liver, beef steak, venison, spicy dishes, mushrooms, cherries and figs.
Once again another fabulous vintage of Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir combining New Zealand depth and body with Burgundian elegance; in fact I think it gets more elegant each year. And as always a rich texture and a mouth-watering, long, long finish