Really aromatic cranberry and redcurrant fruit with that gorgeous edge of white pepper. With air, the fruit almost gets a candied, heightened quality. On the palate, the fruit performs a veritable tight walk, between candied ripeness and utter freshness.
Reviews:
- Falstaff: Really aromatic cranberry and redcurrant fruit with that gorgeous edge of white pepper. With air, the fruit almost gets a candied, heightened quality. On the palate, the fruit performs a veritable tight walk, between candied ripeness and utter freshness.
- Wine Enthusiast: A medium intensity of darkly pigmented ruby-red. Intense, aromas combine fresh, ripe red-cherry, mulberry & prune fruit with truffle notes & cedar. Rripe red-cherry/mulberry/prune/plum fruit flavors are well-integrated. Medium-bodied with intense fruit partnering elegant, fine, earthy/truffley tannins. Fresh acidity & juicy fruit enliven the palate. Balanced alcohol gives the palate roundness. Cinnamon hints overlay lively red-fruit on a long, fresh, complex finish.
Producer Information
Ata Rangi is a leading estate in the Martinborough region in the south of New Zealand’s North Island. It is particularly known for its intense, complex Pinot Noir, which is widely considered to be among the very best from the country. In 2010 (along with Felton Road Pinot Noir from Central Otago), Ata Rangi Pinot Noir was honored with the first Tipuranga Teitei o Aotearoa, or Grand Cru of New Zealand. Three Pinot Noirs are produced, headed by the flagship Ata Rangi wine from vines more than 20 years of age. A single-vineyard Pinot Noir is made from the McCrone vineyard, while Crimson is a multi-parcel blend from younger vines. For many years, the varietal Chardonnay offerings were based around the single vineyard Craighall and more accessible Petrie labels. In recent years, the replanting of the Craighall site (which had also supplied fruit for the for the winery’s dry Riesling and is shared with fellow, high-profile, Martinborugh-based producer Dry River) has seen the establishment of other labels. These include the Masters vineyard (which is owned by winemaker Helen Masters and husband Ben, and is also slated for a single-vineyard Pinot Noir label) and Potiki – a blend of fruit from replanted and established vines on the prized soils of the Martinborough Terrace (an area just north of Martinborough town and home to numerous vineyards, including Craighall). Small quantities of Syrah, a Bordeaux-style blend (Célèbre), the Lismore Pinot Gris, a rosé and the sweet Kahu Riesling are also made. Two Sauvignon Blanc wines – Te Wa and Raranga – are also produced. Ata Rangi is one of Martinborough’s original four producers (alongside Martinborough Vineyard, Dry River and Chifney – now Margrain) with founder Clive Paton planting his first vines in 1980. Today, his sister Alison Paton runs the family business on a day-to-day basis. Helen Masters is regarded as one of the Southern Hemisphere’s leading winemakers, and has held that position at the winery since 2003. She won Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine New Zealand Winemaker of the Year in 2019.
