2020 Pegasus Bay PRIMA DONNA Pinot Noir – An iconic Pinot Noir from New Zealand, offering depth, structure, and elegance

The PRIMA DONNA 2020 is the flagship among Pegasus Bay’s Pinot Noirs—a wine produced only in exceptional vintages and exclusively from the estate’s oldest, ungrafted vines. The “Glasnevin Gravels” in the Waipara Valley—a terroir composed of gravel, silt, and loess—combined with hot days and very cool nights, ensure a long ripening process and produce complex, concentrated wines with freshness and depth.

The selected grapes come from vines over 30 years old and were vinified in the traditional Burgundian style: using 40% whole clusters, spontaneous fermentation, extended maceration, and 14 months of aging in French oak (40% new). Only the best barriques were assembled into the final blend—the result is an exceptional Pinot of iconic stature.

What makes the PRIMA DONNA from Pegasus Bay so special?

The PRIMA DONNA Pinot Noir is selected exclusively from the best plots with old vines—vinified only in exceptional vintages and always bottled unfiltered. The combination of hillside location, poor soils, natural yield reduction, and Burgundian winemaking techniques gives this wine its tremendous depth, aging potential, and aromatic precision. A wine for special occasions—and for discerning Pinot enthusiasts.

So, how does the 2020 Pegasus Bay PRIMA DONNA Pinot Noir taste?

In the glass, the wine displays an intense ruby red color. On the nose, a complex bouquet unfolds with notes of pomegranate, pickled red berries, smoked meat, fallen leaves, cedarwood, and toasted spices. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, powerful, yet silky: fine-grained, ripe tannins, lively acidity, and deep concentration are perfectly interwoven. The finish is long, dynamic, and spicy—a Pinot Noir with character, depth, and great aging potential.