Continuing my journey into the wonders of Kiwi Pinot, here are two lovely bottles recently consumed. The first was new to me. The second, Yealands, wasn’t a surprise: I always like these wines, and they are underpriced.

Ma Maison Cuvée Two Richards Pinot Noir 2014 Martinborough, New Zealand
14.5% alcohol. A blend of equal parts Abel, 667 and 777 clones. This is a very rich, ripe style of Pinot with warm spicy depth to the sweet black cherry and blackberry fruit. It’s complex, rich and satisfying, with some green herbal undertones adding a savoury dimension to the ripe, sweet, sleek black fruits. There are hints of olives and cured meats, too. Not a particularly elegant style of Pinot, but delicious and full. 92/100

Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016 Marlborough, New Zealand
13.5% alcohol. Made in large cuves (6000 litres and 7500 litres) and small oak (no new). 30% fermented with cultured non-Saccharomyces yeast Kluyveromyces (half with four times the standard inoculation rate and half with normal inoculation rate plus an S. cerevisiae chaser after 48 h), and the rest with S. cerevisiae. This is silky and textural with sweet, floral black cherry fruit. There’s a bit of smoky spiciness on the palate, with a bitter damson twist and nice sweet, sleek black fruits. Shows nice definition. Sweet and textural but with some complexity. Pretty serious stuff. 93/100

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