Dry River Pinot Noir 2024 is a classic Martinborough pinot from one of the region's founding wineries, grown on the gravelly Martinborough Terrace. It has black cherry, soft black doris plum and fragrant anise. Rated 96 POINTS by Stephen Wong MW, it's a fantastic wine for anyone who likes savoury, age-worthy pinots.
In the glass it first reveals a bright, floral perfume brooding with earth, moss and vine bark, and a smoky toast note that Dry River liken to rain steaming off a hot road.
This is a wine for those of us who enjoy a pinot with real structure that will build complexity with age, and it would pair well with slow-roasted duck. A special weekend wine.
For 2024, Dry River selected the clusters carefully in the vineyard, then graded the grapes berry by berry in the cellar.
What it tastes like
This wine has radiant sweet fruit at its heart, succulent and generous, with vanillin oak framing the fruit and incredible length across the palate. Minerality gives it a firm backbone, and Dry River describe a substantial structure beneath the charm that will let it broaden and polish with bottle age. It's delicious.
Style at a glance
- Body: Medium to full
- Sweetness: Dry
- Acidity: Bright
- Tannin: Fine and supple
- Oak: 35% new French and Austrian oak, which adds vanillin and smoky toast
- Style: Savoury, structured, age-worthy pinot
Food to enjoy this with
- Slow-roasted duck with cherries
- Venison loin with a red wine jus
- Lamb shoulder with rosemary
- Mushroom and truffle risotto
- Aged Gruyère
- Seared tuna with black olive tapenade: Stephen Wong MW found olive and Erin Larkin a hint of tapenade in the wine
Who makes it
Dry River was established in 1979 by Dr Neil and Dawn McCallum and was one of Martinborough's first wineries. It is named after one of South Wairarapa's earliest sheep stations.
Neil and his friend, soil scientist Dr Derek Milne, found that a small area around Martinborough, just 5 km in radius, had a temperate climate, low rainfall and free-draining gravelly soils. Dry River was one of the first five wineries there, and together they created the Martinborough Terrace appellation, a crescent of ancient river terrace formed by the Ruamahunga and Huangarua rivers.
Dry River dry farm their vines, with meticulous canopy management and selective crop thinning, and are moving to regenerative farming. The fruit comes from three blocks. The Dry River Estate, planted in 1979, is the backbone of the Pinot Noir. Craighall, planted in 1983, is the coldest, windiest and stoniest site, while Lovat, planted in 1992, is the warmest.
Dry River describe 2024 as a spectacular season, with sunshine and dry conditions as the grapes ripened. For this vintage, 15.8% of the fruit was fermented as whole clusters, using Dry River's own yeast. The wine was aged in 35% new French and Austrian oak, then fined with egg white and filtered for clarity.
Critic scores and ratings
- 96 POINTS – Stephen Wong MW – The Real Review, January 2026
"Ripe, complex and savoury pinot noir with black cherry, raspberry, violet, cracked pepper, olive, sweet spice and warm earthy minerality carefully contained within a softening blanket of vanilla pod and cinnamon. The palate is velvet in texture with a surprisingly bright acidity which lifts the wine and brings all of its myriad flavours into focus. The elegant flow is underpinned by considerable energy which drives right to the very long, grainy and floral finish. Poised and detailed with notable finesse, although it is no more than medium-bodied, there is clearly power here which will reward patience."
- 95 POINTS – James Suckling – JamesSuckling.com
"Spice, earth, violet, and strawberry aromas and flavours with hints of caramel and leaves. So enticing. It's medium-bodied with richness and freshness at the same time. Nice toastiness at the end. Better in 2027, but already delicious. Drink or hold."
- 94 POINTS – Erin Larkin – Wine Advocate (RobertParker.com), June 2026
"The 2024 Pinot Noir shows a delicate perfume of rose petals, goji berries, red apples and a hint of tapenade. In the mouth, the wine is both fresh and concentrated, with fine tannins and a licorice-edged finish. It is supple, engaging and driven by the acidity found in this cool place."
When to drink it
James Suckling found it already delicious, though he expects it to be even better from 2027. Dry River expect it to broaden and gain complexity with bottle age, so it will reward time in the cellar.
Technical details
| Winery: |
Dry River |
| Wine: |
Pinot Noir |
| Vintage: |
2024 |
| Variety: |
100% Pinot Noir |
| Region: |
Martinborough Terrace, Wairarapa |
| Country: |
New Zealand |
| Alcohol: |
13.0% |
| Oak: |
35% new French and Austrian oak |
| Fermentation: |
15.8% whole cluster, Dry River yeast |
| Closure: |
Diam cork |
Where to buy
For international delivery to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, the Dry River Pinot Noir 2024 is available from our winenz.com website. For delivery within New Zealand, buy it from thewineryonline.co.nz. You can also buy it at our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine. On both websites and in both stores you can select a mixed case from a large range of wines, and if you are visiting from overseas, we can ship it home for you.
Questions we are often asked
What scores did Dry River Pinot Noir 2024 get?
It was rated 96 POINTS by Stephen Wong MW of The Real Review, 95 POINTS by James Suckling and 94 POINTS by Erin Larkin of Wine Advocate.
Where is Dry River Pinot Noir grown?
It comes from Dry River's own blocks on the Martinborough Terrace in the Wairarapa, with the Dry River Estate vineyard, planted in 1979, as its backbone.
Is Dry River Pinot Noir 2024 whole-bunch fermented?
Partly. For 2024, 15.8% of the fruit was fermented as whole clusters, using Dry River's own yeast.
Is Dry River Pinot Noir 2024 vegan?
No. It was fined with egg white before being filtered for clarity.
When should I drink Dry River Pinot Noir 2024?
James Suckling found it already delicious but better from 2027, and Stephen Wong MW noted its power will reward patience.
Where can I buy Dry River Pinot Noir 2024?
The Winery ships Dry River Pinot Noir 2024 internationally from winenz.com to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, and delivers within New Zealand from thewineryonline.co.nz. You can also buy it in our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores.
