{"title":"Two Paddocks","description":"\u003cp\u003eTwo Paddocks is the personal wine project of actor and Central Otago local Sam Neill, who founded the winery in 1993 with a modest goal - to make world-class Pinot Noir from the deep south of New Zealand. What began as a few rows of vines in Gibbston has grown into four certified-organic vineyards across Central Otago: The First Paddock in Gibbston, The Fusilier in Bannockburn, and The Last Chance and Red Bank in Alexandra, where the winery now calls home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the beginning, Sam’s approach has been hands-on and heartfelt. His focus has always been on quality over quantity - thoughtful farming, minimal intervention, and wines that reflect the land and the people who tend it. Two Paddocks has since become one of New Zealand’s most respected Pinot Noir producers, known for its balance, finesse and lighter shade of Central Otago character.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThough Sam’s film career often takes him far from home, the vineyards remain his anchor. His humour, humility and deep love of the land are woven through every bottle. What started as a small family venture has become a benchmark estate in one of New Zealand's blue-chip regions. Two Paddocks proof that great wine, like good storytelling, is all about connection, place and authenticity.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"2024-two-paddocks-pinot-noir","title":"2024 Two Paddocks Pinot Noir","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis wine is the heart of Two Paddocks - a blend of fruit from Sam Neill’s four organic vineyards across Central Otago: The Fusilier in Bannockburn, The First Paddock in Gibbston, and The Last Chance and Red Bank in Alexandra. Each site brings its own personality, and together they show the full story of the region in one bottle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2024 season was a tough one early on. It started with the coldest spring in five years, which meant long nights fighting frost and a fair bit of damage control. A hailstorm hit Alexandra in January too, but the second half of the season turned everything around. February and March were warm and calm, and the fruit ripened perfectly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the winery, everything was done by hand, just as it always has been. About half the bunches went in whole, and fermentations were driven by wild yeasts before the wine rested in French oak.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a classic Two Paddocks release - bright, savoury and on the fresher side of Pinot from Central. A challenging vintage that finished beautifully, handled with patience and care by a team who know these sites better than anyone.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e95 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Sinewy with a stony, fine-tannin chew, layers of exotic spice, light game tones and an earthy flow as the wine trails with a bright, minerally cadence, powering it forward; this is great drinking.\" \u003cbr\u003e- Dave Brookes (Halliday Wine Companion)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Two Paddocks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42415299625003,"sku":"2024 Two Paddocks Pinot Noir","price":57.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2572\/9722\/files\/2023TwoPaddocksPinotNoir_f962d4ba-5d67-4675-9a47-b81fc4fc28d4.webp?v=1761529104"},{"product_id":"2024-two-paddocks-picnic-pinot-noir","title":"2024 Two Paddocks Picnic Pinot Noir","description":"\u003cp\u003ePicnic is the most easy-going wine in the Two Paddocks family, the one made for sharing, no occasion required. It’s named after Sam Neill’s grandfather, S.E.D. Neill, a wine merchant from a different era, and it carries the same sense of charm and approachability that runs through all the Two Paddocks wines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fruit for the 2024 Picnic comes from the estate’s certified organic vineyards in Alexandra, Gibbston, and Bannockburn. Together they make a Pinot that captures what Central Otago does best in a bright, friendly way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2024 vintage was a mixed bag early on, with frost and hail keeping everyone on edge, but the late season was near-perfect. Warm, even days and cool nights gave small, healthy bunches full of flavour and natural balance. The fruit was handpicked, fermented with wild yeasts, and aged for nine months in French oak before bottling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the Two Paddocks wine you open without thinking twice - juicy, soft, and full of life. It’s the kind of Pinot that tastes like where it comes from, made by people who love what they do and don’t take themselves too seriously. Perfect for the table, the backyard, or, as the label suggests, a picnic.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Two Paddocks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42415303426091,"sku":"2024 Two Paddocks Picnic Pinot Noir","price":35.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2572\/9722\/files\/2024TwoPaddocksPicnicPinotNoir1.png?v=1761529648"},{"product_id":"two-paddocks-single-vineyard-pinot-noir-masterclass-pack","title":"Two Paddocks Single Vineyard Pinot Noir Masterclass Pack","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2022 Two Paddocks ‘The First Paddock’ Pinot Noir – Gibbston\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe First Paddock is where the Two Paddocks story began. Planted by Sam Neill back in 1993, it’s the original home block in Gibbston Valley - a cool, high-altitude site sitting at 410 metres, where vines cling to deep loam soils and endure long, slow ripening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlways the last vineyard to be picked, it produces the most ethereal of the Two Paddocks wines which shows red fruits, wild herbs, and classic Gibbston spice. The 2022 was fermented with 78% whole bunches and matured in 25% new French oak, giving the wine lift and fine structure without losing its effortless flow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis vintage is pure grace in a glass: bright strawberries, forest floor, and crushed stone, all carried by feather-light tannins and a long, mineral finish. It’s the definition of finesse in the context of Central Otago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e96 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Lively, racy and driven, this pinot noir impresses with its aromas of fresh strawberries, forest berries, stones, forest floor and orange blossoms. Medium-bodied with velvety tannins. Refined texture and character, with juicy fresh fruit and a vivid finish of length. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Screw cap.\"\u003cbr\u003e- James Suckling\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2022 Two Paddocks ‘The Fusilier’ Pinot Noir – Bannockburn\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNamed in honour of Sam’s father, Major Dermot Neill, The Fusilier sits at the western end of Felton Road in Bannockburn - the warmest of the Two Paddocks vineyards and arguably its most commanding. The vines here dig into loam and river gravels, yielding fruit that’s darker, denser, and more brooding than the rest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFermented with 82% whole bunches and aged for 12 months in French oak (23% new), the 2022 Fusilier has signature Bannockburn depth with black cherry, spice, and a touch of smoke yet remains fine and balanced. There’s power here, yes, but it’s power with poise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is arguably the pick of the 2022 releases, it’s the most “complete” of the quartet, where structure, spice and fruit meet in perfect proportion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e97 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This vibrant and spicy pinot noir shows aromas of cherries, dried raspberries, sweet spices and some smoke. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Precise and textural. Racy and full of verve, with a long, peppery finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Screw cap.\"\u003cbr\u003e- James Suckling\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2022 Two Paddocks ‘The Last Chance’ Pinot Noir – Alexandra\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerched above the Clutha River, The Last Chance vineyard in Alexandra is as dramatic as Central Otago gets - a terraced slope of raw schist, wild thyme, and piercing light. The vineyard’s name feels apt; everything here clings to life, and yet it consistently produces one of the most beautiful Pinots in the country.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2022 vintage saw a long, cool ripening season that built layers of perfume and texture. Fermented with 85% whole bunches and matured for 12 months in French oak (18% new), it's all dark spice, red plum, thyme and mineral grip.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's a wild Pinot from some wild country.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e97 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A scented nose of sour cherries, orange peel, dried flowers and baking spices. Medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. Pristine and focused, with plenty of energy and brightness on the palate. Long, vibrant finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Screw cap.\"\u003cbr\u003e- James Suckling\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2022 Two Paddocks ‘The Major General’ Pinot Noir – Central Otago\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Major General is the outlier - a blend of the three estate vineyards: Gibbston, Bannockburn, and Alexandra. It’s a wine of tribute, named for Sam Neill’s great-grandfather, a career soldier with a fearsome moustache and a reputation for warmth and wit. The cuvée captures that same balance of charm and authority.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMade with 66% whole bunches and aged for 12 months in French oak (20% new), then three months in stainless steel to harmonise before bottling, this is Central Otago in full stereo: the perfume of Gibbston, the structure of Bannockburn, and the wild spice of Alexandra.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s bright and composed, with red berries, dried herbs and a savoury undercurrent, and always one of the great sleeper values in the range.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e95 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Precise, well defined and engaging, with aromas of strawberries, dried herbs, earth and baking spices. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Delicate texture, yet it has plenty of character. Bright and energetic, with a focused, flavorful finish of bitter lemons and smoke. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Screw cap.\"\u003cbr\u003e- James Suckling\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Two Paddocks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42429297229867,"sku":"Two Paddocks Single Vineyard Pinot Noir Masterclass Pack","price":439.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2572\/9722\/files\/TwoPaddocksSingleVineyardPinotNoirMasterclassPack.png?v=1761526166"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2572\/9722\/collections\/Two_Paddocks.webp?v=1761529943","url":"https:\/\/www.differentdrop.com\/collections\/two-paddocks.oembed","provider":"Different Drop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}