Babich Marlborough Pinot Noir 2024

Babich Marlborough Pinot Noir is a smooth, savoury Marlborough red with raspberry, strawberry, plum and cherry fruit, layered with cedar spice, dried herbs and a gentle earthy note. Medium-bodied and dry, it has a supple texture, fine dusty tannins and a soft smoky finish. Babich has been family-owned since 1916 and was an early New Zealand Pinot Noir medal winner, so there is plenty of experience behind this approachable bottle. Pour it with mushroom pasta, roast chicken, or a platter of salami, olives and sun-dried tomatoes.

What the winery says:

The 2024 Pinot Noir comes from Babich's certified sustainable vineyards across prime Marlborough subregions. The fruit was destemmed but not crushed, with some parcels receiving a cold soak before fermentation in open vats. Minimal plunging and some post-ferment skin contact helped build flavour and texture, followed by malolactic fermentation and several months of barrel maturation. Expect strawberry, raspberry, plum and cherry alongside dried herbs, leather, cedar and vanilla, with fine tannins and lingering forest floor and smoke notes.