A Stunning Result for a Stunning Wine

Written by Nga Waka on May 20, 2026

“A Stunning Result for a Stunning Wine”

Nga Waka is delighted to announce that the 2024 Nga Waka Lease Block Pinot Noir has won the International Pinot Noir Trophy at the 2026 International Wine Challenge, London. Garnering a remarkable 96 points and a gold medal, this is a stunning result for a stunning wine.  The 2024 Lease Block also won the New Zealand Red Trophy, The Martinborough Pinot Noir Trophy, and the New Zealand Pinot Noir Trophy, which is why we felt compelled to share the good news, for our winery, and for Martinborough as a whole.

This outstanding achievement comes on the back of the result for the Lease Block in the 2026 Cuisine magazine annual Pinot Noir tasting, where the wine was awarded 5 Stars and ranked second, confirming that this wine has a truly global appeal.

And at the IWC 2026, the 2024 Lease Block is in distinguished company: only four pinot noirs were awarded 96 points, the other three wines being Burgundies – a Grand Crus Corton, a 1er Crus Pommard and a Gevrey Chambertin.

The Competition

The IWC is considered by many to be the world’s toughest wine competition. It is billed certainly as the most trusted competition in the world, due to its rigour, the personnel involved, and the comprehensive nature of the tastings. There are 500 judges, including multiple MWs (Sam Raphorn, Tim Atkin) the most experienced and judicious journalists, including the legendary Oz Clarke, and members of the trade.

And while the wines are rated on all the expected elements – balance, character, quality – a key assessment metric is authenticity: the wine must utterly represent its provenance. Simply put, this is a pinot noir that is one of the best possible representations of Martinborough Pinot Noir.

The Wine

The Lease Block vineyard is a tiny piece of viticultural gold, just 0.8 hectares, planted in 1999, solely in Pinot Noir. It produces unique, layered, multi-faceted expressions of Pinot Noir, in very small quantities.

The IWC judges said: “A rich, ripe Martinborough Pinot with ample strawberry and cherry fruit as well as some silkiness. Mouthfilling and expressive with lots of drinkability.”

We would add that the wine is packed with berry, spice and savoury flavours for which Martinborough Pinot Noir is renowned, with the extra depth, texture and complexity that mature vines and an outstanding site deliver. This is an exquisite example of Martinborough Pinot Noir that is already a compelling drinking experience. The development in the cellar, though, will be significant, and the rewards for the patient will be bountiful.

The Vintage – “A Winemaker’s Dream”

“The 2024 vintage will go down as one of the greats for the Martinborough region. A winemaker’s dream vintage, we had a perfect combination of cool spring weather which kept yields down and so elevated quality further, followed by classic warm, dry summer conditions that lasted through to the end of harvest. This gave us Pinots of impressive structure, weight and richness. The cooler nights that came into play in late February ensured that power is balanced by freshness and vibrancy. The wines are delightfully poised, and the 2024 Lease Block is perhaps the finest expression of those characteristics, and of our unique terroir.”

Paul Mason, Nga Waka winemaker

IWC 2026, The Numbers

Trophies: International Pinot Noir Trophy, Martinborough Pinot Noir Trophy, New Zealand Pinot Noir Trophy, New Zealand Red Trophy

Medal: International Wine Challenge 2026, Gold Medal Winner

Points: 96 Points

In Conclusion

At Nga Waka, we simply strive to make the best wines possible that truly reflect the Martinborough region in which the wines are cultivated. To have a wine like the 2024 Lease Block Pinot Noir achieve such international acclaim against fierce competition and in such heady company delivers us independent confirmation that our efforts are in the right direction. We just felt compelled to share the good news, a gratifying and remarkable result for a stunning wine.