2023 marks the 20th year since the vines went into the ground at Burn Cottage Vineyard in Lowburn. Before that, this was just a hidden patch of rolling green against the scrubby, craggy, tan-and-black background of Central Otago. It might’ve remained so, had Marquis Sauvage and his wife Dianne not stumbled across it the previous year when they got sidetracked from a site-searching expedition in Australia.
How fateful that was—as was the decision to engage Ted Lemon of Littorai to plan the site. With Ted came the decision to plant this unique, secluded amphitheatre with a highly diverse patchwork of blocks that would be farmed biodynamically from the outset. The choice of Claire Mulholland, a hugely experienced, intuitive Otago local, as winemaker was equally inspired.
The prospect was so mouthwatering that you couldn’t blame Marquis for being impatient to see the first results. He had to wait until 2009 for the inaugural vintage, and the fruits of those decisions couldn’t have tasted sweeter. A new Central benchmark was born.
What a beautiful wine this is, showing the poise, detail and energy of the 2023 vintage.
Erin Larkin
Burn Cottage Vineyard hasn’t erred on its way from there to here. You taste everything now as then: proper layers born of each year’s permutation of ten clones on ten blocks varying in steepness, elevation, orientation and composition from silty to sandy to gravelly loams. Pinot Noir of purity, energy and mystery; no wonder it resonates.
Some ten years ago, Australia welcomed its first Moonlight Race alongside a Riesling/Grüner blend, the former a 100% estate-grown wine these days, and the latter a single-site white from the off. Both are singular and unwaveringly satisfying, offering detail, texture, surprise and the ability to unfurl in the glass.
Central Otago was New Zealand’s standout region in 2023, and all three of these wines shine. Joining them is the ’22 edition of the newest arrival into the fold, the Sauvage Vineyard Pinot Noir from Bannockburn. You’ll find no winemaking fingerprint on this one, either, yet it manages to be both unmistakably Burn Cottage and utterly different from the home vineyard’s expression of Pinot.
From a distance, Central looks an unlikely place to grow beautiful wine, and Burn Cottage a series of uncanny coincidences. The composition is seamless, though, and seemingly written in the South Island stars.
The 2023 Vintage
A couple of cold nights in spring meant frost-fighting; however, thankfully, no damage was sustained, and early-season conditions were mainly dry and mild. The arrival of rain in October and November enabled vine growth to catch up well during this period. Midsummer was warm and dry, including some notable warmer night temperatures at times. The vines were given a welcome respite when overall temperatures cooled a little in March, providing a steadier finish to ripening and a gradual lead-in to harvest. – Claire Mulholland, Burn Cottage
The Wines
2023 Burn Cottage Vineyard Riesling / Grüner Veltliner RRP $75
Composition by variety and clone: 61% Riesling, clones 198/19 and 49; 39% Grüner Veltliner, clones 4/15 and 4/143
Harvest commenced 11th April 2023
Harvest finished: 17th April 2023
Brix at harvest: Grüner Veltliner: 22; Riesling: 21.9
Maceration: A portion of both varieties was destemmed and lightly foot crushed; the berries were bathed in juice for 16 to 36 hours in contact with the skins.
Vinification: A portion of each variety was fermented separately, and a portion co-fermented.
Vessels: Fermentation and aging in stainless steel barrels, neutral oak barriques and sandstone Jar for 11 months.
Technical data: Alcohol 13%; pH 3.21; TA 7.3 g/L; RS 2.5g/L
Fine spice notes of lime blossom, honeysuckle and citrus peel, fennel and a touch of white pepper. A supple palate with enticing saline character, lovely textural quality and fine acidity carries an interesting touch of chalkiness in the phenolic drive. Delicious now, this wine also has cellar potential to 10+ years. – Claire Mulholland
Young and focused, the 2023 Riesling/Gruner Veltliner is full of electricity and light. The palate is citrus-bright with chalky textures, a hint of spritz on entry and a pop of bright acidity. Clean, pure and young, it’s a really sparky wine that is good from the off, but will naturally mellow with a bit more time in bottle. 91 points. Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous Feb 2026
2023 Burn Cottage ‘Moonlight Race’ Pinot Noir RRP $75
Composition by block: Burn Cottage Vineyard: 38% Block 2 – clone: 5 Block 4 – clones: Abel, 777 Block 6 – clones: 667,115 Block 7 – clones: 667, 777 Block 10 – clone; 828 Sauvage Vineyard: 25% Clones: 5, 6, 115, 667; Sappa Vineyard: 37% Clones: 115, 777, cl5, Abel
Vine age: 7-24 years
Harvest start: 22nd March
Harvest end: 17th April
Average Brix at harvest: 23
Whole cluster percentage: 5%
New oak percentage: 21%
Average time in fermenter: 21 days
Cooperages: Damy, Mercurey, Sylvain
Technical data: Alcohol: 13.5% pH 3.66; TA: 4.7 g/L
The 2023 Moonlight Race is a combination of Pinot Noir sourced from our trio of estate vineyards: Burn Cottage Vineyard in Lowburn, and the Sauvage and Sappa vineyards in Bannockburn. Each vineyard contributes unique characteristics to the blend, resulting in a vibrant expression of Central Otago Pinot Noir.
The wine has layered aromas of dark cherry, florals, rich herbal notes, cocoa and earth. There is a lovely vibrancy to the wine, underpinned by density and mineral, savoury undertones. Supple, textural tannins support the expressive fruit and extend through the palate. – Claire Mulholland
Bright and lifted aromas of strawberries, wild raspberries, citrus peel and cherries on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy tannins giving notes of blackberries, mocha, lead pencil and wet bark. Refined and pure with 5% whole-cluster. Drink or hold. 96 points. James Suckling. jamessuckling.com Nov 2024
Gorgeously sweet violet and wild blackberry coulis on the nose. Anise spice, lavender and wild thyme adds complexity to the youthful, mid-weight flavours which gently coat the palate, supported by light but grippy tannins. Not a blockbuster but a slow burner, it gains sweetness as it softens to notes of cinnamon and sandalwood. Elegant and poised pinot noir which is approachable now but will reward cellaring with more layered complexity. 93 points. Stephen Wong, The Real Review Aug 2025
Elegant, plush and lush, with fresh flavors of black cherry, raspberry preserves and lingonberry jam. Herbal accents of dried thyme, sage and matcha, along with whiffs of white pepper and crushed pine needle, linger on the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2038. 93 points. MaryAnn Worobiec, Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2025 Nov 2025
2023 Burn Cottage Vineyard Pinot Noir RRP $107
Composition by block and clone: Block 1: (17%) 114, 115, 777, Abel, Cl 5; Block 2: (30%) 10/5, 115, Abel, 667, CL5; Block 4: (15%) 777, Abel, 943; Block 5s: (4%) Abel; Block 6: (5%) 115, 667; Block 7: (17%) 114, 667, 777, Abel; Block 8: (9%) 667, 10/5, MV6; Block 10: (3%) 828
Commenced harvest: 22nd March
Finished harvest: 17th April
Average Brix at harvest: 23
Whole cluster percentage: 10%
New oak percentage: 27%
Average time in fermenter: 20 days
Cooperages: Damy, Mercurey
Technical data: Alcohol: 13.5%: pH 3.7; TA 4.8 g/L
A wonderfully expressive Burn Cottage with violet and perfumed florals, spicy tobacco and classic red fruit savoury notes. A glimpse of graphite and minerals in the layers. The wine is vibrant and delicious, with energy, a supple density and richness. Showing a touch of creaminess, with seamless tannins extending through the palate. Cellaring potential to 10-12 years. – Claire Mulholland
The 2023 Burn Cottage Vineyard Pinot Noir is so detailed and pretty. The fruit here is silky and bright, with nuances of sweet tobacco and raspberry seed, and there are creamy tannins and layers of tissue-paper texture and acidity. What a beautiful wine this is, showing the poise, detail and energy of the 2023 vintage. The 2023 wines seem to be a magnificent cellaring vintage, although I will understand if they are all consumed upon release, such is the beauty and poise of them as young wines. If they were people, we’d say that they were “old souls” or “mature before their time” or even “young prodigies.” I love the 2023s en masse and have great respect and hope for their potential futures. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. 97 points. Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate Jun 2025
2022 Burn Cottage Sauvage Vineyard Pinot Noir RRP $107
This is our single-vineyard selection from the Sauvage Vineyard in Bannockburn. The vineyard itself is located under hills once prized for gold in this region, now cloaked in wild thyme and rosehip. The land below is widely sought after for Pinot Noir, and the foothills are now framed with vines.
Bright red fruits and floral notes evolve into darker plum, blackberry, tapenade and a touch of pepper. There is a richness to the palate, with supple texture, integrated oak and a fine balance. Vibrant and delicious now, the layers of interest, mineral focus and silky tannins will also be wonderful to enjoy with cellaring. – Claire Mulholland
Composition by clone: 5: 17%; 667: 6%; 115: 33%; 777: 15%; 6: 29%
Commenced Harvest: 18th March
Finished harvest: 1st April
Average Brix at harvest: 22.7
Whole cluster percentage: 10%
New oak percentage: 27%
Average time in fermenter: 18 days
Cooperages: Mercurey, Damy, Sylvain
Technical data: Alcohol: 13.5%: pH 3.66; TA 4.8 g/L
The 2022 Sauvage Vineyard Pinot Noir is darker in the glass compared to the Burn Cottage Vineyard Pinot Noir of the same vintage. Here, the nose leads with dried herbs and cranberry, black cherry, pomegranate molasses, dark chocolate and raspberry notes. There’s also nori, sweet tobacco and sage. In the mouth, the wine is ripe and plush with chewy tannins and a substantive, fulsome sort of impact. This has loads of everything, including length of flavor. This is a bigger wine than last year’s offering, which will please many. I love single-vineyard wines, the lens through which we can view the year that made them and the strength of the site, above all. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. 95 points. Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate Feb 2025
Detailed and elegant pinot noir, no more than medium-bodied but intensely perfumed and long on the palate with lingering notes of violet, purple plum, blackberry bush and wild thyme. There is a muscularity to the structure with crunchy acidity and fairly sinewy tannins wound around the fragrant core, along with just enough wood to notice on the finish. This is still in the process of coming together but all the elements are there for long-term evolution as the structure melts into the wine to reveal its perfumed complexity 95 points. Stephen Wong MW, The Real Review Jan 2026
Impressive for its fresh, vivid flavors of black cherry preserves and red licorice, with notes of star anise and Earl Grey, plus muscular, firming tannins. There’s plenty of harmony and length on the finish, where toasted herb accents of rosemary linger. Drink now through 2037. 94 points. MaryAnn Worobiec, Wine Spectator Oct 2025
