It was an invitation I found hard to resist. “Would you like to join us to taste 'Great Pinot Noirs of the World'?" wrote Jess Bell, Villa Maria's global fine wine brand manager.

Comparative tastings are always interesting. In this case there were going to be 14 wines from six countries. I and other wine critics would taste the wines “blind” in three flights. We were not given the names of the wineries or even the countries the wines came from.

It was a safe bet to assume that some would belong to Villa Maria. I also assumed there would be at least a couple of French big guns. Villa Maria would hit the jackpot if even one of their wines beat a heavyweight from Burgundy. 

As we worked our way through the flights, I jotted down tasting notes (below) on each of the 14 offerings.

Flight 1

2018 Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir, South Africa, $95 

Shows a little bottle age (sealed with a cork). Savoury, earthy, brambles and forest floor flavours. Unusual, distinctive and elegant red. Not a bad start. Available from Planet Wine in Auckland. 

2019 Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Pinot Noir, Marlborough, $60

New World style, smooth texture, bright fruit, floral, cherry, plum, vanilla. A real crowd-pleaser and a pleasure to taste, although lacks a bit of complexity. 

2017 Bodega Chacra Cinquenta Y Cinco, Rio Negro, Argentina, $110

My first taste of a pinot noir from Patagonia. Reasonably intense, with dried herb, spicy oak/savoury flavours. “Cool climate,” I ventured. Unusual (couldn’t place the country). Interesting wine. Available at Planet Wine.

2018 Tolpuddle Pinot Noir, Tasmania, $98

No prizes for picking this as a New World wine. Fruity, plum, cherry/berry, easy drinking, a bit simple but has good intensity. 

2018 Domaine Marquis d’Angerville “Champans”, Volnay Premier Cru, France, $228

Dense wine that is initially fruity, with a savoury finish. Very impressive, complex wine with real power. Needs time. This is my kind of wine. Top wine of the flight. Available from Peter Maude Fine Wines, Auckland.

Flight 2

2019 Cristom Eileen Vineyard Pinot Noir, Oregon, $165

“Could be a NZ/Villa Maria wine,” I wrote. Simple, fruity, clearly New World. Lush plum, dark cherry and spicy oak. Bit simple, crowd-pleaser. 

2019 Villa Maria Single Vineyard Pinot Noir, Marlborough, $60

Moderately intense, savoury, quite complex, robust and slightly rustic. Just a tad dull. Solid pinot noir. 

2017 Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret Grand Cru Richebourg, Côte de Nuits, France, $1637

Cool climate and slightly rustic with a developed colour, probably a cork. Mineral/iodine character with a drying finish. My favourite wine in the flight, but not by much. 

2019 Bass Phillip Wine Estate Pinot Noir, South Gippsland, Australia, $110

Quite developed colour and flavour with savoury, dried herbs balanced by sweet fruit on the finish. Not bad. 

Flight 3

2019 Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, California, $119

Rich, lush, fruity wine with attractive spice, dark cherry and nutty oak flavours. Supple yet robust. Possibly NZ (wrong again). 

2017 Domaine de la Vougeraie Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru, Côte de Beaune, France, $214

Lacks intensity (volume turned down), savoury, developed, dried fruits. Lowest score in this flight. Available at Peter Maude Fine Wines, Auckland. 

2017 Laurent Ponsot Griotte-Chambertin/Cuvée du Saule, Côte de Nuits, France, $798

Quite developed colour, savoury, intense wine with lots going on. Needs time. Quite a classy Burgundy. Available from Peter Maude Fine Wines.

2019 Hyde de Villaine Ygnacia Pinot Noir, Carneros, California, $325

Rich, intense wine with ripe plum, dark cherry, cocoa powder and cassis flavours. Tastes like syrah but otherwise fine. Second-highest score in this flight. Available from Dhall & Nash Fine Wines, Auckland and Wellington.

2019 Villa Maria The Attorney Pinot Noir, Marlborough, $120

Intense sweet fruit, rather closed at first but opened with aeration. Liquorice, slightly jammy but pleasingly complex. Burgundy? My highest score in this flight and overall. Very impressive wine indeed. 

A big win for Villa Maria. They hit the jackpot!

Don’t jump to the conclusion that New Zealand pinot noir is better than French burgundy but you can afford to feel a little pride in Villa Maria’s performance against a handful of wines highly rated worldwide. 

The overall standard of the wines was high, as were their recommended retail prices. 

"Intense sweet fruit, pleasingly complex, very impressive" ... the 2019 Villa Maria The Attorney, from Marlborough, Bob Campbell's pick as the standout wine of the 14 pinot noirs in the blind tasting. (Image: Supplied)