Vintage Archive

Clos Ostler Pinot Noir has been produced from a single north-facing limestone vineyard since the first experimental harvest in 2004. This archive follows its evolution across the seasons, from the early vintages of Caroline’s to the introduction of EOS, a selective expression drawn from the vineyard’s most perfumed and ageworthy parcels.

2004

Caroline’s Pinot Noir

The first experimental harvest from the newly planted Clos Ostler vineyard. Perfumed and savoury, with a persistent finish, it provided the earliest indication that this cool, limestone site could produce Pinot Noir of distinctive character.

The first Clos Ostler vintage

Reviews & Vintage details

Reviews & accolades

90 Points · wine-pages

Described at the time as an excellent debut, with perfume, spice, savoury character and a soft, persistent palate.

Vintage record

Wine: Caroline’s Pinot Noir

Vintage: 2004

Vineyard: Clos Ostler, Waitaki Valley

Context: The first tiny, experimental vintage from vines planted in 2002.

Status: No longer available

2005

Caroline’s Pinot Noir

A cool-season Caroline’s with an edgy, herbal expression. The vintage belongs to the estate’s earliest period, when the young vineyard was beginning to reveal the savoury character and natural acidity of its limestone site.

Second recorded Caroline’s vintage

Reviews & Vintage details

Reviews & accolades

Contemporary reporting records the wine’s distinctly herbal, cool-vintage character.

Vintage record

Wine: Caroline’s Pinot Noir

Vintage: 2005

Vineyard: Clos Ostler, Waitaki Valley

Season: A cool summer produced a tauter, more herbal expression.

Status: No longer available

2006

Caroline’s Pinot Noir

A mature, savoury Caroline’s showing truffle, damp undergrowth and mushroom around soft red berry and strawberry fruit. Lithe structure and persistent acidity preserve the wine’s shape and reveal the early vineyard’s capacity for bottle development.

90 Points · wine-pages · 17.5/20 · Weinman on Wine

Reviews & Vintage details

Reviews & accolades

90 Points · wine-pages

17.5/20 · Weinman on Wine

Contemporary reviews emphasised truffle, forest floor, supple red fruit, dusty tannins and a long, spicy finish.

Vintage record

Wine: Caroline’s Pinot Noir

Vintage: 2006

Vineyard: Clos Ostler, Waitaki Valley

Context: The third estate vintage and the first described contemporaneously as a clear statement of the site’s potential.

Status: No longer available

2008

Caroline’s Pinot Noir

Earthy raspberry and red cherry are carried by bright citrus-edged acidity, fine tannin and a bittersweet line of chicory and liquorice. Less deeply fruited than 2009, the wine was distinguished by energy and structural clarity.

92 Points · wine-pages · 17.5/20 · Weinman on Wine

Reviews & Vintage details

Reviews & accolades

92 Points · wine-pages

17.5/20 · Weinman on Wine

Reviews noted perfume, spice, floral red fruit, silky texture and a tightly structured, energetic palate.

Vintage record

Wine: Caroline’s Pinot Noir

Vintage: 2008

Vineyard: Clos Ostler, Waitaki Valley

Style: Perfumed and red-fruited, with pronounced acidity, fine tannin and savoury development.

Status: No longer available

2009

Caroline’s Pinot Noir

Raspberry, cherry skin and redcurrant are framed by fragrant oak, smoke, dried herbs and liquorice. The wine combines concentration with the tight acidity and savoury mineral focus that were becoming established signatures of Caroline’s.

94–95 Points · Raymond Chan · 94 Points · Sam Kim

Reviews & Vintage details

Reviews & accolades

94–95 Points · Raymond Chan

94 Points · Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

92 Points · wine-pages

90 Points · Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Selected by The Independent among its 50 wines for Christmas.

Matt Kramer of Wine Spectator praised the wine’s striking minerality, refreshing acidity and delineation, placing Caroline’s in the context of fine Chambolle-Musigny.

Vintage record

Wine: Caroline’s Pinot Noir

Vintage: 2009

Fermentation: 100% wild yeast

Oak: 25% new French oak

Whole bunch: Fully destemmed

Alcohol: 14.3%

Status: No longer available

2010

Caroline’s Pinot Noir

A landmark Caroline’s. Dark cherry, raspberry, violet, dried herbs and earth are supported by vibrant acidity, fine tannin and pronounced mineral energy. With extended bottle age, a mature estate bottle has developed a deeply savoury black-truffle character.

IWC Gold · 95 Points · Raymond Chan · 95 Points · Wine Orbit

Reviews & Vintage details

Reviews & accolades

Gold Medal · International Wine Challenge 2013

95 Points · Raymond Chan

95 Points · Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

93 Points · Bob Campbell MW

91 Points · Falstaff

91 Points · John Szabo MS, WineAlign

90 Points · Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

90 Points · Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar

Matt Kramer of Wine Spectator named the 2010 among his five most interesting wines of 2013 and compared its mineral precision with fine Chambolle-Musigny.

Vintage record

Wine: Caroline’s Pinot Noir

Vintage: 2010

Vineyard: Clos Ostler, Waitaki Valley

Alcohol: 13.5%

Mature estate observation: Black truffle, earth and savoury complexity now sit beneath the remaining dark fruit.

Status: Held in the estate library

2011

Caroline’s Pinot Noir

A pale, delicate expression with floral and beetroot notes, silky tannins and a long mushroom-driven finish. With maturity it developed dried herbs, earth, roast meat and liquorice while retaining the vineyard’s fine chalky structure.

92 Points · David Lawrason · Mature review by Decanter

Reviews & Vintage details

Reviews & accolades

92 Points · David Lawrason

89 Points · Wine Enthusiast

17.9/20 · Weinman on Wine

Later reviewed by Decanter in a retrospective tasting of mature New Zealand wines.

Vintage record

Wine: Caroline’s Pinot Noir

Vintage: 2011

Vineyard: Clos Ostler, Waitaki Valley

Mature character: Floral, beetroot, mushroom, dried herbs, earth and silky tannin.

Status: No longer available

2013

Caroline’s Pinot Noir

Red cherry and red apple skin meet dried herbs, mineral detail and measured oak. Fresh, layered and firmly chalky in youth, the wine was repeatedly recognised for its balance, silky texture and long, structured finish.

IWC Waitaki Valley Pinot Noir Trophy · 95 Points · Cameron Douglas MS

Reviews & Vintage details

Reviews & accolades

Waitaki Valley Pinot Noir Trophy · International Wine Challenge 2015

95 Points · Cameron Douglas MS

18.2/20 · Weinman on Wine

Also reviewed by JancisRobinson.com.

Vintage record

Wine: Caroline’s Pinot Noir

Vintage: 2013

Vineyard: Clos Ostler, Waitaki Valley

Style: Cherry, dried herbs, mineral structure, firm chalky tannin and integrated oak.

Status: No longer available

2015

Caroline’s Pinot Noir

Dark berries, cherry and plum are layered with violet, lavender, undergrowth and exotic spice. A broader Caroline’s from this cool site, with ripe powdery tannins, a strong acid spine and a distinctly chalky finish.

IWC North Otago Pinot Noir Trophy · 96 Points · Cameron Douglas MS

Reviews & Vintage details

Reviews & accolades

North Otago Pinot Noir Trophy · International Wine Challenge 2017

96 Points · Cameron Douglas MS

Silver Medal · International Wine & Spirit Competition 2017

Contemporary reviews emphasised vibrant cherry fruit, velvety tannin, mineral drive and the unusually late Waitaki harvest.

Vintage record

Wine: Caroline’s Pinot Noir

Vintage: 2015

Vineyard: Clos Ostler, Waitaki Valley

Alcohol: 13%

Style: Dark-fruited, floral and savoury with powdery tannin and limestone-derived tension.

Status: No longer available

2016

Caroline’s Pinot Noir

The 2016 combines black plum and cherry with rose, thyme and finely measured spice. Concentrated yet weightless in structure, it retains the chalky tannin and savoury length that have become signatures of Caroline’s.

98 Points · Ray Jordan · 97 Points · Huon Hooke · 96 Points · IWC Gold

Reviews & Vintage details

Reviews & accolades

98 Points · Ray Jordan

97 Points · Huon Hooke

97 Points · Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

96 Points · Gold Medal · International Wine Challenge

96 Points · Bob Campbell MW

96 Points · Cameron Douglas MS

95 Points · Raymond Chan

92+ Points · Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

92 Points · Wine Spectator

Vintage record

Wine: Caroline’s Pinot Noir

Vintage: 2016

Region: Waitaki Valley, North Otago

Alcohol: 13.5%

Status: No longer available

2018 View library release

Caroline’s Pinot Noir

A warm, dry season produced a wine now moving beyond primary fruit into dried herbs, mushroom, earth and game, while retaining red cherry and plum. The tannins have softened around a fine, chalky texture and lively acidity.

96 Points · Cameron Douglas MS · 95 Points · IWC Gold

Reviews & Vintage details

Reviews & accolades

96 Points · Cameron Douglas MS

95 Points · Gold Medal · International Wine Challenge 2020

18.5/20 · Raymond Chan

Vintage record

Season: Among the driest and warmest experienced in the Waitaki Valley. Dry conditions continued through harvest, allowing individual parcels and clones to be picked as they reached maturity.

Vineyard: Clos Ostler monopole, north-facing limestone escarpment at approximately 208–230 metres.

Clones: 115, 667, 777, UCD6 and Abel

Harvesting: By hand

Alcohol: 13.5%

Release: From the estate cellar

2020 View library release

Caroline’s Pinot Noir

Red and dark cherry, raspberry and damson plum sit beneath dried herbs, mushroom and earth, with clove and anise in the background. Powdery tannins and measured acidity carry a broad, savoury finish.

97 Points · Sam Kim · 96 Points · IWC Gold

Reviews & Vintage details

Reviews & accolades

97 Points · Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

96 Points · Gold Medal · International Wine Challenge 2025

96 Points · Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

95 Points · Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review

Vintage record

Season: Warm, dry conditions and a favourable flowering period produced small, intensely flavoured berries.

Vineyard: Clos Ostler monopole, north-facing limestone escarpment at approximately 208–230 metres.

Clones: 115, 667, 777, UCD6 and Abel

Harvest: 11–29 April 2020, by hand

Alcohol: 13.5%

Release: From the estate cellar

2021 View current release

Caroline’s Pinot Noir

Damson plum, black cherry and blackcurrant are followed by clove, dried thyme and sage. Fine, supple tannins frame the concentrated fruit, while vibrant acidity and a persistent mineral line carry the savoury finish.

Three IWC Trophies · 97 Points · Sam Kim

Reviews & Vintage details

Reviews & accolades

Gold Medal · Three Trophies · International Wine Challenge 2025

Best New Zealand Red Wine

Best New Zealand Pinot Noir

Best North Otago Pinot Noir

97 Points · Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

96 Points · Cameron Douglas MS

95 Points · Bob Campbell MW

95 Points · Richard Hemming MW

94 Points · Claire Nesbitt, JamesSuckling.com

94 Points · Konstantin Baum MW

94 Points · Emma Jenkins MW, Decanter

Vintage record

Season: Warm, dry summer conditions and persistent westerly winds produced small, concentrated berries.

Vineyard: Clos Ostler monopole, north-facing limestone escarpment at approximately 208–230 metres.

Clones: 115, 667, 777, UCD6 and Abel

Harvest: 7–20 April 2021, by hand

Maturation: 15 months in French oak barriques, 20% new

Alcohol: 13.5%

2022

Caroline’s EOS

Two expressions of one season

Caroline’s Pinot Noir

Red cherry, raspberry and plum are joined by rose, hibiscus, thyme and earth. Supple, dusty tannins and bright acidity carry the wine through a long, lifted and savoury finish.

96 Points · Sam Kim · 95 Points · Candice Chow

Reviews & Vintage details

Reviews & accolades

96 Points · Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

95 Points · Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

94 Points · Cameron Douglas MS

94 Points · Stephen Wong MW

Vintage record

Season: La Niña brought even spring budburst, cool damp flowering, mild summer temperatures and a dry, settled autumn.

Vineyard: Clos Ostler monopole, north-facing limestone escarpment at approximately 208–230 metres.

Clones: 115, 667, 777, UCD6 and Abel

Harvesting: By hand, according to clone and maturity

Alcohol: 14.2%

EOS Pinot Noir

A selection of the vineyard’s most perfumed and ageworthy Pinot Noir parcels. Red cherry, raspberry and plum are layered with rose, dried herbs and a fine mineral line, carried by bright acidity and finely structured tannin.

97 Points · Decanter Platinum · 97 Points · Sam Kim

Reviews & Vintage details

Reviews & accolades

97 Points · Platinum Medal · Decanter World Wine Awards 2026

97 Points · Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

96 Points · Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

96 Points · Candice Chow

95 Points · Cameron Douglas MS

95 Points · Stephen Wong MW

The first Waitaki Valley wine to receive a Decanter Platinum Medal.

Vintage record

Season: A cool La Niña season followed by a dry, settled autumn.

Vineyard: Clos Ostler monopole, north-facing limestone escarpment.

Selection: Clones 667 and 777 with a small proportion of Abel.

Harvesting: Parcels harvested and fermented individually before selection.

Maturation: Approximately 10 months in French oak.

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