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Pyramid Valley - New Zealand

We had the absolute pleasure of hosting Pyramid Valley Winemaker Huw Kinch on Wednesday evening for an exclusive tasting of his latest releases, and what a stand out lineup it was. The Chardonnay and Orange were my two personal highlights, but every wine on show was genuinely a delight to taste through.

The Pyramid Valley site in Waikari was originally purchased in 2000 by Mike and Claudia Weersing, a formidable duo with a dedication to biodynamics and significant experience across Burgundy and Europe. The Weersings spent close to the next two decades bringing their vineyard to life and building a stellar reputation for their very small production wines. In 2017 they made the difficult decision to sell, and the next chapter was begun by new owners Brian Seth and Steve Smith MW (previously of Craggy Range). In 2018 they brought in Huw Kinch (previously of Escarpment) as Estate Manager and Winemaker. Huw has worked tirelessly to refine the wines and maintain the integrity and authenticity of the vineyards.

It is no secret that the new team behind Pyramid Valley Wines carry on the ambition to produce some of the best cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the world. For many in the industry, they are already there: "Benchmark New Zealand vineyard and wines. If not a yardstick for chardonnay and pinot noir globally. No Joke.” Mike Bennie, The Wine Front.

Kinch's dedication to the wines is unmistakable. It is still early days for the new chapter of Pyramid Valley Wines, but the quality and purity of the releases since 2019 has been astonishing to say the least. Kinch is slowly expanding plantings to follow Weersings original plan for the vineyard, and we anticipate a meteoric rise in coming years.