Clos Ostler EOS Pinot Noir 2022 Awarded 97 Points and Platinum at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards

The release of Clos Ostler EOS Pinot Noir 2022 has been awarded 97 points and a Platinum Medal at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards, making it the equal highest-rated Pinot Noir from New Zealand in this year's competition.

For our family, the recognition is deeply appreciated because it comes from independent blind tasting by one of the world's most respected international wine competitions. More importantly, it acknowledges a philosophy that has shaped EOS since the wine was first imagined.

The Philosophy Behind EOS

Clos Ostler is a single monopole vineyard in New Zealand's Waitaki Valley. Every wine we produce comes from this one vineyard.

Rather than seeking different vineyards to create different wines, we explore the many expressions that can come from the same place. Each bottling begins with the same ancient limestone soils, the same cool alpine climate and the same long growing season. What changes is the lens through which the vineyard is interpreted.

EOS was created as our most refined and age worthy expression of Clos Ostler.

The great Grand Cru Pinot Noirs that have inspired our family over many years shared one quality above all else. Their greatest character was rarely revealed in youth. Instead, they evolved gradually, gaining complexity, harmony and nuance over decades in bottle.

That observation became the guiding philosophy behind EOS. From the beginning, it was conceived as a wine built for patience.

A Different Expression of the Same Vineyard

Every bottle of EOS comes from Clos Ostler.

The distinction lies not in where the fruit is grown, but in how it is selected and composed.

EOS is produced from our selection of Dijon clones 667 and 777, which we believe consistently offer the most delicate, refined and finely structured expression of the vineyard. These clones naturally produce wines with lifted aromatics, fine tannins and remarkable precision, qualities that become increasingly rewarding with extended bottle age.

Harvest timing, fermentation, barrel maturation and blending are all approached with the same objective: preserving elegance, structure and longevity rather than pursuing immediate power.

The result is a Pinot Noir intended to evolve gracefully over many years while remaining a faithful expression of Clos Ostler.

Why Clos Ostler Can Produce Wines Like EOS

Clos Ostler was established on ancient limestone soils in New Zealand's Waitaki Valley, one of the country's coolest wine-growing regions.

The vineyard benefits from a cool alpine climate and one of New Zealand's longest growing seasons. Fruit ripens slowly through autumn, allowing flavours, tannins and acidity to mature together while preserving freshness and precision.

Limestone plays an equally important role. Its naturally free-draining, calcium-rich soils moderate vine vigour and encourage deep rooting, contributing to the savoury minerality, structural tension and longevity that have become hallmarks of Clos Ostler wines.

Every wine we produce reflects these same conditions. EOS simply represents one interpretation of them.

The 2022 Vintage

The 2022 season produced fruit of exceptional purity and balance.

A long, measured ripening period preserved vibrant natural acidity while allowing tannins to mature gradually.

The resulting wine combines floral aromatics, fine structure and savoury complexity with the precision expected from a cool-climate limestone vineyard.

Although expressive in its youth, EOS was created with the expectation that its greatest complexity will continue to emerge over many years in bottle.

Recognition at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards

The Decanter World Wine Awards is recognised as one of the world's leading international wine competitions, attracting almost 17,000 entries from more than 50 countries in 2026. Platinum medals are awarded only to a very small proportion of wines following multiple stages of blind tasting by international judges.

The panel awarded Clos Ostler EOS Pinot Noir 2022 97 points, writing:

"A cool climate spectacular, with wonderful soaring herbs, green olives, bay leaves, cherries and raspberries welcoming the palate. Decisive structure, shapely tannins and crisp acidity tie everything together, bringing the flavours to life. Long and savoury."

The description captures many of the qualities we have always hoped EOS would express; purity, freshness, savoury detail, structure and the ability to develop with time.

Recognition for the Waitaki Valley

The award is also recognition for the Waitaki Valley.

Although it is one of New Zealand's youngest wine regions, the Waitaki Valley has become internationally recognised for producing distinctive cool-climate Pinot Noir from ancient limestone soils. Clos Ostler was among the pioneering vineyards established in the region, helping demonstrate the remarkable potential of this landscape.

Every vintage deepens our understanding of the vineyard. Every season teaches something different. Our responsibility is simply to listen, adapt and preserve what the site naturally gives us.

Receiving 97 points and a Platinum Medal is an encouraging milestone because it reflects an independent assessment of both the wine and the place from which it came.

We look forward to watching EOS 2022 continue its journey in bottle over the years ahead, confident that time will reveal even more of what Clos Ostler has to offer.