ATA RANGI McCRONE PINOT NOIR 2020

Winery notes (2020 Vintage)
"Looking back at the seasonal notes of the 2020 vintage the repeating theme is `typical’. Temperature, rainfall and yields were all we could hope for in an ideal season in Martinborough. It was a pleasure to harvest clean, impeccable fruit that truly expressed each site’s unique character. McCrone vineyard is just around the corner from our home block but here the soils are remarkably different. Whilst the Martinborough Terrace is predominantly alluvial gravels, there is a compact seam of clay which threads its way across a section of the terrace, fanning out over the gravels and creating a cooling effect on the roots in the soil. The McCrone site catches this seam and delivers a distinctively different aroma and flavour profile than that of the Ata Rangi Pinot Noir.

Very floral perfume of violets, rose petal, sweet raspberry and spice. Bold and juicy entry to the palate, with primary fruit combining with herbal and iron ore notes. There is a brooding, savoury note to the glossy and vibrant palate, tannins are bouncy and plush. A very compelling release of the McCrone vineyard that balances the energy and complexity of the whole bunch portion with the weight and power that has become synonymous with this site.

40% whole bunch with the remainder destemmed, fermentation by indigenous yeasts. Total tank time 15- 23 days. After pressing, complete malolactic ferment in oak. 11 months total in French oak (35% new), then blended and held for further 8 months prior to bottling."

5 Stars & 97/100 Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review (2020 Vintage)
"Quite a fragrant/floral aroma with more plum, dark cherry, wood smoke, liquorice and nutty oak evident on the palate. Seamless, silken texture that is appealing now but promises to get even better with bottle age. The wine opened up as it sat in the glass and deserves to be aerated."

97/100 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (2020 Vintage)
"A lovely nose of sliced strawberry, grated nutmeg, suede and rose. Negroni. Orange. Medium- to full-bodied with silky, fine tannins. Nuanced and concentrated with an array of subtle spice and herbs decorating the beautifully fresh red berries. Spice. Iron. Rust. Savory undertones provide depth and complexity on the palate and evolve and oscillate as time goes on. Open grain tannins at the end. New single vineyard bottling. Sustainable. Best after 2025."

97/100 Christina Pickard, Wine Enthusiast (2020 Vintage)
"The McCrone Vineyard, with is combo of clay and alluvial gravel soils, brings distinct personality and minerality to this beautifully expressive wine. It starts with a heady nose you could fall straight into. Dried spices and herbs, vanilla pod, tree bark and cracked black pepper are in the fore, weaving through cherry, redcurrant cordial and orange rind. There's an ethereal lightness to the palate, but a tight structure to the fine tannins. Silky, freshly fruity and spicy, it's elegant, approachable and age-worthy."

94/100 Mike Bennie, The Wine Front (2020 Vintage)
"A hotter site, per se. Clay soils. Certified organic site. Around 40% whole bunch, which seems to be a major part of the identity of the wine, showing more here. Very floral perfume, violets, rose petal, lots of raspberry and sweeter fruit and spice characters to sniff on. Juicy and bright in the palate, fresh-feeling and loaded with primary fruit, albeit gossamer textured, glossy and vibrant too. Tannins squeaky, bouncy, crisp in a way. Fine and frisky expression."

93+/100 Erin Larkin, Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (2020 Vintage)
"The 2020 McCrone Vineyard Pinot Noir is great. This leads with salted tomato, cherry and caper brine. This is mineral as hell, tight, expansive and spicy and grey in colour spectrum; it's not all ribald cherry/berry fruit. There is drama here—floral and rocky with ferruginous tannins. I like it."