HIGH GARDEN VINEYARD

High Garden Vineyard is a small, highly focused vineyard in Gibbston, Central Otago, dedicated to producing premium single-vineyard Pinot Noir from one of the highest vineyard sites in this famously cool New Zealand wine region. Sitting between approximately 420 and 490 metres above sea level, High Garden occupies a dramatic north-facing slope above the Gibbston Valley, combining extreme elevation, long sunshine hours and rocky schist soils.

The vineyard was originally planted during the 2001–02 seasons and was purchased in March 2020 by Robin Tedder MW. Scottish-born Tedder first arrived in New Zealand in 1976 before spending several decades in Australia, where he began growing grapes and making wine in 1993. He became a Master of Wine in 1997 and acquired High Garden after recognising the site's potential to produce exceptional Central Otago Pinot Noir.

Today High Garden brings together a particularly experienced team. Robin Tedder MW owns the vineyard and participates in the winemaking; Gary Crabbe, a Lincoln graduate and highly experienced Central Otago viticulturist, manages the vines; and acclaimed winemaker Jennifer Parr consults on winemaking. Parr has completed around 30 vintages internationally and was named New Zealand Winemaker of the Year by Gourmet Traveller WINE in 2020.

The vineyard itself is what makes High Garden particularly compelling. Gibbston is Central Otago's coolest major subregion, and High Garden sits above much of the valley floor. During April—the critical final month of ripening—the vineyard can receive approximately 90 minutes more direct sunshine per day than vineyards lower in the valley.

This creates an unusual combination. High elevation provides cool conditions and a long growing season, while the vineyard's steep north-facing exposure captures substantial sunlight. Air naturally drains down the slope, helping reduce frost risk, while the extended ripening period allows Pinot Noir to develop flavour and phenolic maturity without sacrificing the natural acidity and aromatic detail associated with cool-climate wine.

The soils provide another defining element. High Garden sits on schist rock over gravelly glacial loess, material gradually washed down from the surrounding mountains. These rocky, free-draining soils encourage deep root systems, while sufficient subsurface moisture helps sustain the vines through the growing season. The vines are now essentially dry-farmed, further strengthening the relationship between the vineyard and its natural environment.

Viticulture is exceptionally hands-on. The vines were planted using several Pinot Noir clones on low-vigour rootstocks, and virtually all important vineyard work is carried out manually. The team makes repeated passes through the vineyard during the growing season, carefully managing individual vines and extensively thinning bunches around véraison to keep yields deliberately low.

High Garden has increasingly adopted regenerative, organic and biodynamic-influenced farming practices. These include no-till cultivation, plantain for nitrogen management, red clover for weed suppression and carbon capture, and native flowers designed to encourage indigenous bees, wasps and other beneficial insects. Vineyard compost preparations incorporate seaweed extracts and mulched vegetation from the surrounding property.

The objective is not simply sustainability as a marketing concept but healthier vineyard biology. Gary Crabbe and Robin Tedder focus on building naturally functioning soils and balanced vines capable of achieving full ripeness during Gibbston's unusually long growing season. Yields typically sit at only around four to five tonnes per hectare.

Until recently, Pinot Noir was essentially the entire story of High Garden. The project deliberately produced just one wine from the heart of the vineyard, allowing all attention to be concentrated on expressing this single high-altitude site.

Winemaking follows the same philosophy of restraint. Pinot Noir undergoes natural fermentation with vineyard yeasts and spends three weeks or more on skins. The wine then completes a slow malolactic fermentation in French oak barriques through winter and spring. Current technical information indicates approximately nine months in French oak, around 30% new, before bottling.

Importantly, the wine is not racked, fined or filtered. High Garden also identifies the wine as vegan. The purpose of this minimal handling is to preserve the vineyard's natural perfume, structure and mineral character rather than create a heavily manipulated winemaking style.

The resulting Pinot Noir has attracted significant critical attention. Huon Hooke of The Real Review awarded the 2024 High Garden Vineyard Pinot Noir 98 points, describing a wine combining ripe berry fruit with impressive concentration, detail, persistence and serious structure. Bob Campbell MW awarded the same vintage 96 points, highlighting its fragrance, complexity and fine tannins.

Earlier vintages have established a similarly strong record. The 2023 received 96 points from both Bob Campbell MW and Andrew Caillard MW, while Cameron Douglas MS awarded 95 points. Caillard memorably characterised the wine as a “Pinot Noir for Barolo drinkers”, reflecting its combination of elegance, mineral tension and unusually serious structure.

High Garden is now entering another important chapter with Chardonnay. Approximately two hectares of the vineyard were grafted to Chardonnay in 2023, and Australian Wine Companion reports that from the 2026 vintage the estate is expected to produce Chardonnay alongside its Pinot Noir. The current vineyard configuration comprises approximately 2.2 hectares of Pinot Noir and two hectares of Chardonnay.

This development is particularly exciting given Gibbston's cool climate and the vineyard's elevation. The same long growing season, intense sunlight and rocky schist-loess soils that give High Garden Pinot Noir its distinctive tension could potentially provide an equally compelling environment for Chardonnay.

High Garden Vineyard therefore represents a particularly precise interpretation of Central Otago terroir. Rather than blending fruit from multiple vineyards or subregions, the project concentrates on one extreme site and a small number of varieties, supported by meticulous hand farming, exceptionally low yields and restrained winemaking.

For collectors of Central Otago Pinot Noir, High Garden offers something distinctly different from the warmer expressions of Bannockburn or Bendigo. Its position high above Gibbston—Central Otago's coolest subregion—creates Pinot Noir combining perfume and delicacy with concentration, structure and impressive ageing potential.

Shop High Garden Vineyard wines online at Wine More Cellars Australia. Discover limited-production Gibbston Pinot Noir and high-altitude Central Otago wines with Australia-wide shipping and free delivery on eligible orders over $199.