Actor Sam Neill planted his original 2 hectare vineyard, the First Paddock site, at Gibbston in Central Otago in 1993. That vineyard has now been doubled in size and two more blocks added, the 3 hectare Alex Blocks vineyard perched above the Clutha River at Alexandra and the 5.5 hectare Redbank Paddocks site in the Earnscleugh Valley. Winemaker Dean Shaw crafts a stunning set of Pinot Noir wines under the Two Paddocks premium label along with gorgeous Pinot Noir and Riesling under the Two Paddocks Picnic label. A superb range of wines that impress with their detail and clarity.

The flagship from Two Paddocks, the estate Pinot Noir is an organically grown barrel selection produced from the four Central Otago vineyards - The Fusilier in Bannockburn, First Paddock in Gibbston, Last Chance and Red Bank in Alexandra. These small sites are high-density  planted in a range of clonal material, cropped to under 5 tonne per hectare with most vineyard practices carried out by hand. An exemplary Central Otago style, which will be enhanced with bottle age.

An organically grown, barrel selection of four Central Otago vineyards - The Fusilier in Bannockburn, First Paddock in Gibbston, Last Chance and Red Bank in Alexandra. Mid-ruby in the glass, there’s some lovely whiffy struck match reduction on the nose here, twitching through the wild strawberry, macerated raspberry and red and dark cherry fruits. 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. Date: Feb 2026; Alcohol: 13%; Price: $60.00; Drink by: 2041; Rating: 95 Points; James Halliday Wine Companion

Vivid and racy, with wild berries, smoke and matchsticks on the nose, following through to a medium body with fine tannins. Textured and juicy. From organically grown grapes. Rating: 94 Points; James Suckling