Newbie Question - How does Aussie Pinot Compare to US/French

[Golf&PinotNut]

I have been quaffing quite a bit of New Zealand and Australian pinots, and especially like the ones that are of the Burgundian style. Two of my favorites are Bindi from the Macedon Region and Melness from (I think) Waipara.

What I don't understand, though, is while the very "pinot-like" character shines through, why these wines are so similar to that being grown in Burgundy and so very different than that which is being grown on the west coast in the U.S. Is it the soil? I'm pretty sure they're all using the same (or very similar) clones.

And what's more -- can someone point me toward other wines that a yank like me might've never tried? Maybe Gavin can help with this.