2024 Terra Sancta Estate Pinot Noir | 94 Points Bob Campbell MW

🔥 94 Point Bannockburn Pinot Noir | Old Vines on Felton Road | Brilliant Value at $48

Red cherry. Plum. Nutmeg. Liquorice. Wild thyme. Silky tannins. Beautiful mineral drive.

And here's the killer — much of the fruit comes from some of Terra Sancta's oldest vines, including the same blocks used for its premium single-block Pinot Noirs.

94 Points – Bob Campbell MW

Bannockburn Pinot Noir | Wild Fermented | Old-Vine Fruit | RRP $48

This is exactly the sort of Central Otago Pinot Noir I want to find at under $50 — proper vineyard pedigree, old vines, minimal-intervention winemaking and serious complexity without the premium price tag.

The 2024 Terra Sancta Estate Pinot Noir comes from the estate's vineyards on Felton Road in Bannockburn, one of the most famous pieces of Pinot Noir country in New Zealand.

And at:

$48 RRP

there is a lot of Pinot Noir in this bottle.

94 Points – Bob Campbell MW

The 2024 has already received:

94 POINTS

from respected New Zealand critic Bob Campbell MW.

Campbell describes a light, supple Pinot with ripe berry fruit, floral and violet notes, subtle spice, a silky texture and impressive length.

That's the beauty of this wine.

It isn't trying to overwhelm you.

It's about:

Perfume

Texture

Fruit

Spice

Minerality

Length

It's immediately attractive, but there's serious structure sitting underneath.

Bannockburn – The Heart of Central Otago Pinot Noir

The label says Central Otago.

But we can get much more specific.

This is Bannockburn.

And more specifically again:

Felton Road.

Terra Sancta's Estate vineyard sits on Felton Road in Bannockburn, with the wine assembled to reflect the different soils, vine ages, aspects and microclimates across the property.

That's serious Pinot Noir territory.

Bannockburn is capable of producing Central Otago Pinot with tremendous concentration, but the best examples balance that richness with freshness, perfume and savoury complexity.

That's exactly where the 2024 Terra Sancta sits.

The Old Vines Are the Story

This is where the wine becomes particularly interesting.

Terra Sancta says the 2024's depth and character come largely from fruit sourced from some of the estate's:

Oldest Pinot Noir vines

particularly:

Slapjack Block

and

Sarah's Block.

These aren't simply anonymous vines feeding an entry-level wine.

Fruit from the estate's vineyards also forms the basis of Terra Sancta's far more limited premium single-block Pinot Noirs.

That's the value proposition.

You're getting access to serious Bannockburn vineyard material without paying single-vineyard Pinot Noir money.

Some of Bannockburn's Early Pinot Noir Plantings

Terra Sancta incorporates the former Olssens vineyard, with plantings dating back to 1991 — among the early commercial Pinot Noir plantings in Bannockburn.

That's important in Central Otago.

This is a relatively young fine-wine region compared with Burgundy.

So vines with more than three decades behind them are significant.

They've had time to establish deep root systems and develop a genuine relationship with the site.

And we're talking about a $48 wine.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Medium ruby — beautifully bright and inviting rather than dark or over-extracted.

Aroma: Gorgeous and layered. Red cherries and plum lead into nutmeg, liquorice, subtle chocolate and sandalwood, with spice building as the wine opens.

Palate: Concentrated but refined. Vibrant red plum and cherry sit at the centre, surrounded by liquorice root, spice and savoury complexity.

Texture: This is where the wine really shines. The fruit tannins are silky and beautifully polished, while an underlying mineral character gives the wine shape and energy.

Finish: Long and savoury, with wild thyme and spice lingering beautifully after the fruit.

It's unmistakably Central Otago.

But without the heaviness that can sometimes creep into the region's Pinot.

Picked for Freshness

The winemaking philosophy behind this wine makes a lot of sense.

The fruit was deliberately:

Picked early

to preserve:

Natural Acidity + Freshness.

That's important.

Because Bannockburn can produce plenty of fruit concentration naturally.

You don't need to chase excessive ripeness.

Instead, Terra Sancta has retained the acidity required to give all that cherry and plum fruit shape.

Fruit without jamminess.

Concentration without heaviness.

Wild Fermented. Minimal Intervention.

The 2024 was:

Wild fermented

then matured for:

10 Months

in a combination of:

Barriques + Large-Format Oak.

And Terra Sancta says the wine was made with:

No Additives

before being bottled:

Unfined & Unfiltered.

That's beautifully restrained winemaking.

The oak is there to shape the wine rather than dominate it.

And the focus remains firmly on:

Bannockburn Pinot Noir.

Just 13% Alcohol

Another number I like:

13%.

Again, it tells you something about what Terra Sancta is trying to achieve.

This isn't enormous, sweet-fruited Central Otago Pinot.

It's more refined.

More savoury.

More mineral.

More energetic.

And considerably easier to drink.

2024 – A Challenging Vintage That Rewarded the Best Sites

The 2024 season wasn't completely straightforward.

Spring began well, before El Niño brought dry weather and strong winds across Central Otago. A frost on January 24 caused no major damage at Terra Sancta, while rain on February 21 and cooler nights helped support steady ripening.

Harvest began on:

26 March.

Crucially, Terra Sancta's sheltered sites handled the season well, and the estate credits its mature vines with producing fruit of excellent flavour and complexity.

That's where old vines and good sites earn their keep.

Terra Sancta – Sacred Land

Terra Sancta translates to:

“Sacred Land.”

And the name makes sense when you see where these vineyards are.

The estate sits on Felton Road in Bannockburn, with different vineyard blocks producing distinctive expressions of Pinot Noir.

The philosophy is about allowing those differences in:

Soil

Aspect

Vine age

Microclimate

to show through the wines.

The Estate Pinot Noir effectively brings those different pieces together.

It's a snapshot of Terra Sancta's Bannockburn vineyard in one bottle.

The Value Is Seriously Good

This is the part that makes me want to buy the wine.

Your RRP:

$48.

For that you're getting:

100% Pinot Noir

Bannockburn, Central Otago

Felton Road vineyard

Significant old-vine component

Slapjack & Sarah's Block fruit

Hand-picked fruit

Wild fermentation

10 months in barrique & large-format oak

No additives

Unfined & unfiltered

13% alcohol

94 Points – Bob Campbell MW

For $48.

That's a compelling package.

Drink It Now – Or Put It Away

This is already going to be very easy to enjoy.

Those cherries.

That silky texture.

The spice.

The wild thyme.

But there's enough tannin, acidity and fruit concentration underneath to make cellaring worthwhile.

Terra Sancta says the 2024 can continue developing complexity for:

9+ Years.

I'd happily drink it now.

But I'd also love to see it with another:

3–7 years

in bottle.

The primary cherry and plum should start moving toward more savoury, earthy and spicy territory.

Food Pairings

• Roast duck
• Duck breast
• Porchetta
• Mushroom tart
• Truffle pasta
• Roast chicken
• Lamb loin
• Wild mushroom risotto
• Grilled salmon
• Comté

The winery itself recommends roasted mushroom tart with caramelised onions, thyme and goat's cheese, or herb-roasted porchetta with fennel and rosemary.

Both sound pretty spot on.

Why We Love It

There's a lot to like here.

But for me the attraction comes down to one thing:

You're getting better vineyard material than the price suggests.

This isn't generic Central Otago Pinot assembled simply to hit a price point.

It's estate-grown Bannockburn Pinot Noir from Felton Road, with much of the depth coming from some of Terra Sancta's oldest vines.

And then it's:

Wild fermented.

Minimally handled.

Unfined.

Unfiltered.

Just 13% alcohol.

And awarded:

94 POINTS – BOB CAMPBELL MW.

At:

$48 RRP.

That's seriously good buying.

The 2024 Terra Sancta Estate Pinot Noir has everything I want from good Central Otago Pinot — beautiful ripe fruit, but enough freshness, savoury spice, minerality and fine tannin to stop it becoming simple or heavy.

Red cherry. Plum. Nutmeg. Liquorice. Wild thyme. Silky tannins. Mineral drive.

94 Points. Old Vines. Bannockburn. Felton Road. $48.

👉 If you love Central Otago Pinot Noir, this is an easy six-pack buy. Drink a couple now for the gorgeous cherry fruit and silky texture, then watch the rest develop over the next decade.