Decidedly the famed red grape of Burgundy, the best examples of Pinot Noir can inspire goosebumps for its sheer drinking pleasure.
Light bodied with fresh acidity, Pinot Noir wines can overdeliver on flavour with floral, fruity, savoury, earthy, complex and lingering flavours.
From country to region, sub-region to single vineyard, Pinot Noir is capable of expressing the place it comes from, and while Burgundy is its home, with intricacies of its own, Pinot Noir has adapted and excelled in wine regions across the globe.
Results from the recently announced Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) highlight the versatility of this variety, with nine countries and 30 outstanding Pinot Noir wines represented in the competition’s top medal categories – Gold, Platinum and Best in Show.
Scroll down to see 20 top-scoring Pinot Noir wines from DWWA 2024
In the competition’s top 50 selection, three Best in Show accolades were awarded to single varietal Pinot Noir wines from Tasmania, Australia and Central Otago, New Zealand.
Burgundy received four Platinum medals for its 2022 vintage wines, a standout year for reds. As highlighted by Regional Chair for Burgundy, Charles Curtis MW, in Decanter’s Burgundy 2022 en primeur full report, the vintage showcased exceptional quality. Producer Albert Bichot claimed two of these for its Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru and Morey Saint-Denis 1er Cru. Judges praised the wines for ‘oozing inviting red cherry and earthy forest fruit, bewitching and beguiling as they intermingle with a velvety structure.’
Additional 97-point accolades were awarded to Pinot Noir wines from Yarra Valley, Australia, Baden, Germany, Valais, Switzerland and Oregon in the US.
In the Gold category, the USA saw success with four varietal wines awarded medals, while Pinot Noirs from Italy’s Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Canada’s Vancouver Island and Chile’s Casablanca Valley also secured coveted spots on the prestigious Gold list.
As a truly global competition, Decanter World Wine Awards results showcase the exceptional quality of Pinot Noir from around the world. What better occasion than International Pinot Noir Day to spotlight some of the competition’s finest?
Below discover a selection of top-scoring wines from the 2024 competition, with many more awarded Pinot Noir wines to discover on our results site awards.decanter.com
Pinot Noir: 20 top-scoring wines to try from DWWA 2024
Australia
Bay of Fires, Pinot Noir, Tasmania 2022
Best in Show, 97 points
Prior to 2024, we’ve never had a Tasmanian Pinot in our Best In Show selection. This year we have two. Was it because 2022 was a sensational vintage? Not exactly – the east coast of the island suffered from a spectacularly cool, wet season; elsewhere on the island, though, conditions did indeed vary from good to outstanding. The first wine in our pair is a pan-Tasmanian blend with source fruit from several regions. It is a translucent dark red in colour, with warm, settled aromas of plum, cherry and raspberry just teased towards sweetness with subtle oak. It is warm, soft and mouth-filling, built on the same core of subtly mingled fruits with muted, natural acidity and fine tannins, the combination giving an almost silky charm to the wine. This considered, restrained winemaking lays the groundwork for a Pinot which is hugely easy to drink yet at the same time deeply satisfying and highly amenable – a Pinot to sip on its own, to chill with fish or to serve at a cool room temperature for white meats and salads. Alcohol 13.6%
Lowestoft, Single Vineyard Jacoben Pinot Noir, Derwent Valley, Tasmania 2022
Best in Show, 97 points
The second of this year’s outstanding 2022 Tasmanian Pinot Noirs comes from the Derwent Valley, just to the north of Hobart and in the rain shadow of Mount Wellington. The region can be drought-susceptible in warm summers, but in the wetter season of 2022 its site stood it in good stead. This is a darker wine that its pan-Tasmanian peer, but beautifully crafted: singing red fruits without any shadowing from oak, and with the intrinsic grace and charm of the Derwent Valley’s fruit well to the fore. On the palate, it is pure, bright and mouth-filling, packed with juicy raspberry; both tannins and acids are soft and sustaining. They nourish and ease the gorgeous fruit core through the palate to a gently subsiding finish. There’s just a touch of tarry complexity behind those fruits. Virtuoso work from a Pinot region of extraordinary promise. Alc 13.5%
Yarra Yering, Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley, Victoria 2022
Platinum, 97 points
Alive with bright red cherry, raspberry and strawberry fruit with just a subtle hint of five spice oak. Solid and smooth with velvety tannins and a melting spine of acidity. Long and lingering with a vanilla plum finale. Alc 13%
Curly Flat, Pinot Noir, Macedon Ranges, Victoria 2022
Gold, 95 points
Sultry dark cherry and dried herb aromas give way to an ample palate, generously imbued with a smoked meat intensity. Sleek and voluptuous with a cleansing acidity and finish. Alc 13%
Canada
Unsworth Vineyards, Pinot Noir, Vancouver Island, British Columbia 2021
Gold, 95 points
Glistening with bright red cherries and berries with a zip of black pepper which flows alongside the zingy cranberry acidity and taut mineral texture. Deliciously true to type. Alc 12.3%
Chile
Cono Sur, 20 Barrels Limited Edition Pinot Noir, Casablanca Valley 2021
Gold, 95 points
Opulent summer berries, sweet cassis and pomegranate with dried tobacco leaf unfurling to reveal complex, textured tannins and a glossy acidity. Nicely evolved, mellow and lengthy. Alc 14%
Viña Morandé, Vitis Única Pinot Noir, Casablanca Valley 2022
Gold, 95 points
A flourish of fragrant florals, ripe strawberries and red cherries which exude varietal character. Precise and taut with a bracing acidity and long savoury, salt-infused finish. Alc 13%
France
Albert Bichot, Hospices De Beaune Cuvée Madeleine Collignon, Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru, Burgundy 2022
Platinum, 97 points
A haunting glow of sweet clove and star anise spice with a delicious smattering of raspberry, plum and cherry fruit. Bold and all-consuming with a polished structure and prowess of enthralling tannins. Long and enduring. Alc 13.65%
Domaine Changarnier, Meix Bataille, Monthélie 1er Cru, Burgundy 2022
Platinum, 97 points
Exquisite cherry blossom and summer berry fruit energy with a sultry tone of incense and fine spice swaddled in a gloss of fine tannin and crunchy texture. Well-defined with a pervading acid backbone and a long, mystifying finish. Alc 13.5%
Jean-Claude Boisset, Les Charmes, Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru, Burgundy 2022
Platinum, 97 points
Teeming with sumptuous black cherry, plum and blackberry which sparkle and shine alongside the smouldering coffee, oak spice and gamey notes. Gloriously silky and sleek with a grip of dark chocolate tannin and awe-inspiring acidity. Tremendous! Alc 12.5%
Maison Jaffelin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy 2021
Gold, 96 points
Beaming with red cherry, wild strawberry and plum which sing alongside a parade of fragrant herbs. Incredibly lively and bright with silky tannins to the end. Marvellous! Alc 12.5%
Germany
Weingut Fritz Wassmer, Kaiserberg Herbolzheim Spätburgunder, Baden 2021
Platinum, 97 points
The epitome of elegance and class with a cascade of fragrant florals leading the way. On the palate Morello cherries, raspberries and oak enjoy an agreeable embrace with a light dusting of tannin and acidity. Outstanding! Alc 13.5%
Italy
Englar Castle, Baltasius Pinot Noir, Alto Adige / Südtirol Riserva, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol 2020
Gold, 96 points
Awash with red berries and attractive florals which perch decadently upon a nutty, vanilla oak structure, with a crunch of chalky tannin and a spicy finish. Alc 13.5%
Peter Zemmer, Vigna Kofl Pinot Noir, Alto Adige / Südtirol Riserva, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol 2021
Gold, 96 points
Copious amounts of raspberry, strawberry and plum fruit sizzle alongside the fragrant anise and liquorice spice. Remarkably plush with velvety tannins and a charming fruit-laden acidity. Alc 13.5%
New Zealand
Mcarthur Ridge, Southern Tor Pinot Noir, Alexandra Basin, Central Otago 2022
Best in Show, 97 points
We may not have found any Burgundian Pinot Noir wines to feature in this year’s Best In Show selection, but three Pinots from the Southern Hemisphere goes some way to compensate. This example from the Alexandra Basin sub-region shows why there is so much excitement about Central Otago. It’s a translucent dark red in colour, with articulate aromas of warm red berries, red cherries and root spice. It’s softly articulated on the palate and sweet-fruited, with great grace and poise. The wine’s structure comes more prominently from its acidity than from its relatively discreet tannin profile. In just two years, it has already begun to soften and open; look out for stones and a herbal complexity as well as root spice on the finish. Alc 13.5%
Rockburn, Twelve Barrels Pinot Noir, Gibbston, Central Otago 2022
Gold, 95 points
Bedecked with ripe raspberries, lifted florals and dried herbs which unfold and glide over the supple, fleshy texture, appetising acidity and velveteen tannins. Deliciously moreish. Alc 14%
Switzerland
Domaine Histoire D’Enfer, L’enfer Du Calcaire Pinot Noir, Salquenen, Valais 2019
Platinum, 97 points
Enchanting raspberry, strawberry and freshly picked cherries charm and delight with a delicious infusion of sumptuous red liquorice, clove and star anise rippling alongside. Capacious and warming with a simmering gravelly undertone of mineral tannin. Superb! Alc 13.9%
Ueli & Jürg Liesch, Prezius Pinot Noir, Graubünden, Eastern Cantons 2021
Gold, 95 points
Delightful floral scents and aromatic red fruits befit the elegant cool climate style, boasting bright acidity and judiciously employed oak. Intensity and joy in equal measure. Alc 13%
USA
Audeant Wines, Luminous Hills Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2021
Platinum, 97 points
Ripe crushed cherries and perfumed red flowers leap out of the glass and cascade over the crunchy, youthful palate; with an immersive texture, silky smooth tannins and a squeaky clean acidity. Impressively long and memorable. Alc 12.9%
Domaine Serene, Fleur De Lis Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Oregon 2021
Gold, 95 points
Elevated blackberry liqueur and charred earthy notes with an emergence of bright red cherry acidity. Deeply concentrated with smoky vanilla oak undertones which steer towards the finish. Alc 13.9%
