Craggy Range vineyards and winery (Photo: Craggy Range Wines)

A couple of years ago I compiled a list of reassuringly expensive New Zealand wines I’d tasted in recent years. I managed to find 29 examples.

In this latest survey, I included every wine that I’d tasted in the past two years with a price tag of $100 or more. This time they totalled 38 wines (I didn’t include sweet wines in half-bottles).

Babich’s high-priced 2013 Centennial Cabernet Sauvignon doesn’t appear because I have yet to taste it. At the moment it ranks as New Zealand’s most expensive wine according to supplied recommended retail prices (RRPs).

In terms of style, chardonnay was clearly top white wine while pinot noir led the way with reds. Here is the ranking:

Hawke’s Bay was the top region with 12 wines, while Waiheke came second with seven followed by Central Otago with six. Mr Big (Marlborough) only managed to produce two wines with three-digit price tags.

White wines (6)

• 2013 Clearview Endeavour Chardonnay (Hawke’s Bay) – NZD $165
• 2013 Church Road Tom Chardonnay (Hawke’s Bay) – NZD $150
• 2015 Pyramid Valley Lion’s Tooth Chardonnay (Canterbury) – NZD $120
• 2015 Pyramid Valley Field of Fire Chardonnay (North Canterbury) – NZD $120
• 2014 Vidal 1888 Lyons Vineyard Chardonnay (Hawke’s Bay) – NZD $120
• 2012 Bell Hill Chardonnay (Canterbury) – NZD $100

Red wines (31)

• 2014 Destiny Bay Magna Praemia (Waiheke Island) – NZD $385
• 2013 Martinborough Vineyard Marie Zelie Reserve Pinot Noir (Martinborough) – NZD $225
• 2013 Church Road Tom Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (Hawke’s Bay) – NZD $200
• 2013 Church Road Tom Syrah (Hawke’s Bay) – NZD $200
• 2015 Crown Range Cellar Pinot Noir (Central Otago) – NZD $179
• 2013 Clearview The Basket Press (Hawke’s Bay) – NZD $165
• 2014 Destiny Bay Mystae (Waiheke Island) – NZD $165
• 2016 Crown Range Cellar Grant Taylor Pinot Noir (Central Otago) – NZD $150
• 2015 Mudbrick Vineyard Velvet (Waiheke Island) – NZD $140
• 2015 Soho Zabeel (Waiheke Island) – NZD $138
• 2015 Craggy Range Aroha Pinot Noir (Martinborough) – NZD $135
• 2015 Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah (Hawke’s Bay) – NZD $135
• 2013 Seresin Sun & Moon Pinot Noir (Marlborough) – NZD $130
• 2015 Te Mata Coleraine (Hawke’s Bay) – NZD $129
• 2014 Messenger Merlot Cabernet Franc Malbec (Auckland) – NZD $125
• 2014 Destiny Bay Destinae (Waiheke Island) – NZD $125
• 2014 Gibbston Valley Reserve Pinot Noir (Central Otago) – NZD $120
• 2015 Pyramid Valley Angel Flower Pinot Noir (North Canterbury) – NZD $120
• 2015 Pyramid Valley Earth Smoke Pinot Noir (North Canterbury) – NZD $120
• 2014 Amisfield RKV Reserve Pinot Noir (Central Otago) – NZD $120
• 2015 Trinity Hill Homage Syrah (Hawke’s Bay) – NZD $120
• 2014 Bell Hill Pinot Noir (North Canterbury) – NZD $120
• 2012 Prophet’s Rock Retrospect Pinot Noir (Central Otago) – NZD $119
• 2015 Craggy Range Sophia (Hawke’s Bay) – NZD $115
• 2016 Felton Road Block 3 Pinot Noir (Central Otago) – NZD $105.40
• 2013 Akarua The Siren Pinot Noir (Central Otago) – NZD $100
• 2014 Stonecroft The Original Syrah (Hawke’s Bay) – NZD $100
• 2013 Squawking Magpie Platinum Merlot (Hawke’s Bay) – NZD $100
• 2013 Squawking Magpie Platinum Syrah (Hawke’s Bay) – NZD $100
• 2013 Squawking Magpie Platinum Cabernets (Hawke’s Bay) – NZD $100
• 2013 Batch Winery Thomas Legacy Syrah (Waiheke Island) – NZD $100

Fortified wine

• Trinity Hill Tawny Port 12-year-old (Hawke’s Bay) – NZD $250