One of Central Otago's most striking wineries has released its 2024 pinot noirs

It was exactly 40 years ago that Rob Hay first laid eyes on Chard Farm. He’d just returned to New Zealand after studying winemaking in Germany, and heard there were “some crazy individuals attempting to establish vineyards in Central Otago”.

Although the consensus in the late ’80s was that the region was too cold and too far south to grow grapes, “I did some research and the more I read, the more I was intrigued with possibilities,” he says. “I had to investigate.”

Established as an orchard and market garden by the Chard family in 1860, the property, overlooking the spectacular Kawarau Gorge at the entrance to the Gibbston Valley, is magnificent – even by Central Otago standards. Framed dramatically by the winding, emerald-green river and steep, rugged, schist-based cliffs, it’s where Chard Farm’s first vines were planted in 1987, and is also home to the winery and Tuscan-style tasting room. 

Chard Farm's Tuscan-style tasting room in Gibbston

Today, the estate’s footprint has significantly expanded to include four more vineyards – two in Lowburn and two in Parkburn – farmed with holistic, regenerative principles and planted variously to pinot gris, riesling and chardonnay. “I'm very stubborn about the potential of cool-climate whites from Central Otago,” Rob says, “especially chardonnay – an unsung hero in my opinion.” 

Yet, pinot noir is unquestionably the star. Chard Farm has just released four premium expressions from the exceptional 2024 vintage, headlined by the flagship Vipers Parkburn Pinot Noir.

“Fruit from the Viper vineyard, in particular the Grandstand block that the Vipers Parkburn is made from, always stands out,” says winemaker John Wallace. “Right from barrelling, it’s always the most complete wine in the cellar.” 

The Vipers vineyard in Parkburn.

This was magnified in 2024; a growing season John says was “cool at the right time to keep crop loads in check, and dry and warm at the right time to perfectly ripen the fruit. Overall, the vintage is characterised by balance – concentration and elegance, flavour and precision, ripeness and acid.” 

“It’s been described as a vintage where the whole orchestra was playing well and hitting the high notes, and the orchestra was playing particularly well for the ’24 Vipers Parkburn Pinot Noir,” Rob adds. “But all the ’24s show beautiful Central Otago aromatics and the tannins are nicely ripe and integrated.”

While few could have foreseen the potential of the grape in Central Otago when Rob established Chard Farm as a winery in 1987, “and the inherent, wonderful, opulent pinot noir flavours that the terroir of this region could produce,” he says, “it’s great to live and work in a region where one of the world’s noblest grape varieties feels so at home".

See how Dave Brookes scored Chard Farm's 2024 single-vineyard pinot noir release below.