Tohu One Single Vineyard Pinot Noir

Tohu (pronounced tor-who) were the world’s first Maori owned and operated wine company, formed back in 1998. They recently launched their new flagship, single vineyard range to their already impressive line up of wines. The single vineyard range celebrates “He Whenua, He Kura” or “The power of place.”

And that place is their stunning Whenua Awa vineyard in Marlborough’s rugged Awatere Valley. As winemaker Bruce puts it “Whenua Awa has shaped us as much as we’ve shaped it. This collection reflects our relationship with the land – the experience we’ve gained over time and our commitment to producing premium, site specific wines that speak clearly of the Upper Awatere.”

This is their Tohu One Single Vineyard Pinot Noir – the One is pronounced “oh-neh” and it means soil or earth in Te Reo Maori. Those soils brought to Whenua Awa by the Awatere River over millenia. The carefully designed One label displays the Maunga (mountain) holding the Koru, symbolising growth grounded in permanence and stability.

There’s no corners cut here, this is Tohu’s ultimate expression of Pinot Noir. All hand picked fruit, fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 13 months. And it’s a beauty….

94/100 (Cam Douglas MS)
“A complete wine driven by scents of site and time”

4 1/2 Stars (Cuisine magazine 2026)
“A very complete wine with a supple, fine finish.”

91/100 (James Suckling)
“Medium-bodied with velvety tannins”

And how does Bruce and the Tohu team describe the exciting new release of their Pinot? “A graceful yet powerful expression of the Upper Awatere Valley, Tohu One Pinot Noir combines concentrated fruit, wild fermentation and considered oak maturation to deliver a wine of depth, character and lasting finesse.”

If you’re pairing it with kai, think Kiwi beef and lamb! Only 942 bottles produced. Drink now or cellar for up to a decade from vintage.