Winery notes (2024 Vintage)
“Our Pinot Gris was originally influenced by the style of wines from Alsace, and has developed over the years into our own, uniquely Martinborough style. Fragrant aromas of fresh pear, lychee and citrus meld with perfumed notes of rose, jasmine and citronella on the nose. The palate greets with spicy notes of nutmeg and ground ginger. A textured and salivating wine, with a fine balance of phenolic texture and fresh acidity. Notes of wet stone and a gentle herbal balm come through on the finish giving a long, cool seam on the finish. A wonderfully complex wine from a truly great vintage, this wine captures the purity and complexity of a great harvest. This wine will only benefit further from time in the cellar.
Fruit hand-picked and whole bunch pressed. Juice taken to large format barrels with minimal settling. Spontaneous native yeast fermentation and then ageing on lees for 6 months. No malolactic fermentation.”
16.5/20 Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, August 2025 (2024 Vintage)
“Rich, exotic and perfumed with a hint of rose petals and spice. Full-bodied, spicy on the palate, creamy in texture. A big, bold wine with just enough freshness to balance. Definitely more Alsace than northern Italy and mercifully dry.”
94/100 Susie Barrie MW & Peter Richards MW (UK), Susie & Peter New Zealand Wines of the Year 2026 (2024 Vintage)
“Ata Rangi is one of New Zealand’s most celebrated wine names (and, in Te Reo Māori, means ‘dawn sky’ or ‘new beginning’). Although most famous for their benchmark Pinot Noirs (see below), they apply the same exacting standards to several other varieties, Pinot Gris being a long-standing one. One of our special wine memories is enjoying a bottle of five-year-old Ata Rangi Pinot Gris at winemaker Helen Masters’ house, where it made the most beautiful match for a home-cured ham – the honey and spice richness offsetting the elegant minerality and refreshing acidity, and everything marrying wonderfully with the savoury ham. More recently, we opened a 14-year-old bottle of Ata Rangi’s Pinot Gris – and it was sumptuous: bursting with baked pear, ginger, honeyed cream, all succulence and warmth and spicy texture together with grounding mineral acid. One key point to flag Pinot Gris SUSIE & PETER 32 up here, though, is that Ata Rangi’s style of Pinot Gris has evolved over time – Helen says it used to be inspired by Alsace (with a touch more residual sugar in the mix) but now it’s evolved, ‘into our own, uniquely Martinborough style.’ And what’s that? Well, as shown here, it’s fundamentally dry and fresh, but with an engaging succulence to the texture and beguiling characters of rich spiced pear, honey and nutmeg. It’s relatively understated but with serious structure and tons of energy, and will age well in its own way.”
























