Critic picks

Decanter's top-rated wineries in South Island

Decanter scores on the 100-point scale. Its 186 ranked South Island producers run from 92 to 96 points, each with at least two rated wines.

Ranked by Decanter's mean score across every wine of theirs Decanter has rated. Highest average first; ties go to the producer with more wines rated.

186
Producers Decanter rates
96
Top score
365
Wines scored, top 25

The list

  1. 196Calvert BannockburnCentral Otago, New Zealand2 wines ratedCRITIC-RATED→
  2. 294Gibbston ValleySouth Island, New Zealand13 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  3. 394OstlerCentral Otago, New Zealand3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  4. 494The BonelineWaipara, New Zealand3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  5. 594Bell HillCanterbury, New Zealand19 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  6. 694Pyramid Valley VineyardsMarlborough, New Zealand27 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  7. 794Chard FarmCentral Otago, New Zealand8 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  8. 893Moko HillsBendigo, New Zealand3 wines ratedCRITIC-RATED→
  9. 993RipponCentral Otago, New Zealand20 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  10. 1093ValliCentral Otago, New Zealand27 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  11. 1193Domain Road VineyardCentral Otago, New Zealand3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  12. 1293BrennanCentral Otago, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  13. 1393HawksheadCentral Otago, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  14. 1493ChurtonMarlborough, New Zealand11 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  15. 1593FairbourneMarlborough, New Zealand3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  16. 1693Burn CottageCentral Otago, New Zealand20 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  17. 1793AkituCentral Otago, New Zealand13 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  18. 1893Grasshopper RockCentral Otago, New Zealand6 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  19. 1993Judge RockCentral Otago, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  20. 2093GreywackeMarlborough, New Zealand70 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  21. 2192Grove MillMarlborough, New Zealand8 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  22. 2292Prophet's RockCentral Otago, New Zealand23 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  23. 2392Neudorf VineyardsNelson, New Zealand27 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  24. 2492Ten SistersMarlborough, New Zealand3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  25. 2592Cloudy BayMarlborough, New Zealand47 wines ratedDISTINCTION→

How we choose

Decanter rates individual wines, not estates. Each producer's place here is its average Decanter score across every wine of theirs the critic has scored. A producer needs at least two such wines to appear: the guard stops a single lucky score on one bottle from outranking an estate with dozens of rated wines. More on how the list works

Frequently asked

How many South Island wineries has Decanter rated?
186 wineries in South Island, New Zealand have at least two wines scored by Decanter. Only those appear here.
Which South Island winery does Decanter rate highest?
Calvert Bannockburn, at a 96-point average from Decanter, followed by Gibbston Valley and Ostler.
How is this list ranked?
By Decanter's average score across each winery's wines. A winery needs at least two Decanter-rated wines to be listed, so a single high score cannot top the ranking.
Does this use user reviews?
No. Only Decanter's professional ratings. There are no crowd star averages in it.

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