Valli is perhaps Central Otago’s best kept secret. Locals covet these wines, seen as a handful of producers in the top tier of the region. Valli has four sub regional Pinot Noirs, all of them are premium and eloquently display the different terroir throughout the region.
Since its inception in 1998 by local wine celebrity Grant Taylor, Valli has had the sole focus of expressing single vineyard wines, from the various sub regions of Otago; Gibbston Valley, Bannockburn, Bendigo, Waitaki (north Otago) + Lowburn in collaboration with Burn Cottage.
The winemaking is kept simple and adjusted only slightly for each different vineyard. Whole bunches are usually 30%, new oak is also usually 30% and 11-12months maturation before release. No enzymes, fining or filtering are used in the winemaking process.
There is no entry level to Valli, each wine is a stunning expression of each vineyard. The wines are now made by Jen Parr, an Oregon born winemaker that Taylor persuaded to stay in NZ to lend her formidable talents to Valli. She picked up the well deserved 'NZ Winemaker of The Year' in 2019.