ATA RANGI PINOT NOIR 2019

Selected for the Fine Wines of New Zealand List

Matthew Jukes
"This stunning estate makes the most revered Pinot Noir in New Zealand."

Lisa Perotti-Brown MW
"…the long-serving, dedicated team behind Ata Rangi just go from strength to strength. Their Pinots have always been great and yet, even in a world where the Pinot benchmark gets higher every year, Ata Rangi is better than ever."

Yvonne Lorkin
"You’d be hard-pressed to find a list of ‘Best NZ Pinot Noir’ that does not feature Ata Rangi at the top of the list."

Winery notes (2019 Vintage)
"Only fruit, from the oldest parcels of vines makes up our premium Pinot Noir. The fabled Abel clone, allegedly smuggled from Burgundy in the mid-70s, makes up 40% of the blend. The result is a complex, structured wine, beautifully perfumed in the classic Ata Rangi style.

Good rainfall up to Christmas set the vineyards up well for what was a very dry Summer. Overall, the season was slightly warmer than average, but the cooler finish to the season meant vibrant acidity was retained, while tannins ripened fully. Smaller bunches and yields resulted in concentration and complexity, which will allow this 2019 to age beautifully.

A full fragrant nose of sun-baked raspberry, red rose, anise and dark cherry meld with delicate savoury notes of dried porcini and fresh herbs. The palate is a balance of power and freshness, with flavours of fresh red cherry carrying through to the finish. Complex yet ethereal, this vintage encapsulates our vision of Martinborough Pinot Noir."

5 Stars & 98/100 Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review (2019 Vintage)
"Elegant, seamless pinot noir with fragrant, floral, red rose, dark cherry, anise, spice and restrained savoury and fresh herb characters. It's a complex medley of appealing flavours supported by an ethereal texture and a lingering finish. A surprisingly accessible wine from an excellent vintage. Should develop well with bottle age."

98/100 James Suckling (2019 Vintage)
"A complex wine from the outset with gently reductive notes and modern oak spice threading into fresh cherry, spiced bread, rose, forest wood and blood orange, as well as darker cherry notes. The palate tells the full story. This displays real power and definition with clear-cut and powerful tannins. The intensity of the red-cherry fruit is impressive and the way it occupies the finish with length and uplift is the thing that defines great pinot noir per se. Strong vintage. Drink over the next decade."

Rated Outstanding & 96/100 Cameron Douglas MS, March 2022 (2019 Vintage)
"Complex and layered, beguiling yet pure fruited, layers of fruit earth and wood scents that can only come from vine age and a true understanding of vineyard and vintage. Primary fruit flavours and dried herb, quietly savoury and complex oak and lees flavours touch the palate first. This is still a very new tasting wine so cellar time is highly recommended. Tannins are ripe and polished, acidity youthful and precise, complexity and synergies multiple. A grand example of Wairarapa Pinot Noir, delicious, taut, youthful and complex. Best drinking is likely from 2026 through 2040+."

94/100 Mike Bennie, The Wine Front, March 2022 (2019 Vintage)
"A fuller expression, chewy and malty, dark cherry led with some salted plum characters and clove-cinnamon spice in tow. Feels quite grippy, grunty in a way, but flows nicely, dense and dark, finishes long and with a swish of that dark cherry through undergrowth earthiness. Powerful, potent expression, with balance."