Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2012

Ata Rangi, meaning 'dawn sky' or 'new beginning', is a small, family-owned, organic winery in Martinborough that has a reputation for producing exceptional quality pinot noir. The Ata Rangi Pinot Noir is their flagship wine and is regarded by many to be one of the greatest pinot noirs that comes out of New Zealand.

"Silken textured,  elegant wine with subtle power evidenced in its very lengthy finish. It clearly shows great cellaring potential."  Bob Campbell MW

"The relatively cool 2012 season has delivered a very poised and elegant pinot with a delicious red fruit entry followed by notes of plum, red-currant, fresh herbs, hints of truffle and meaty charcuterie. Still young and firm, and more savoury than sweet-fruited, the wine opens in the glass to show a medley of classic pinot aromas and flavours. With beautifully fine tannin structure and length, the 2012 will further develop in the cellar to a more savoury, gamey expression of pinot.

In producing our two pinots, grapes from vines that range in age from 10 - 30 years are meticulously hand-sorted as they arrive at the winery, with individual blocks and clones fermented separately. About ten months later a blind tasting, barrel by barrel, decides the first cut. Younger vine fruit tends to end up in Crimson while the original old home block 'Gumboot Clone' and best plots of Dijon Clone invariably have the extra weight and complexity that we favour for the main label Ata Rangi Noir. Martinborough's deep, lean, free-draining gravels, high wind run, low rainfall and exposure to the southern ocean means average pinot noir yields here are the lowest in the country. These factors, along with the significant age of our vines, contribute to the consistency of quality year after year and to the unique and distinctive 'sense of place'."  Ata Rangi

Expert reviews

"Ata Rangi normally use a significant percentage of whole bunch grapes in the fermentation but this year all of the grapes were destemmed. Silken textured wine with cherry, plum, mineral and a trademark savoury/herb character. Elegant wine with subtle power evidenced in its very lengthy finish. A very good example from one of the country's very best producers. It clearly shows great cellaring potential although I must say I enjoyed the leftover wine with roast lamb."  Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review - 97 points

"Full red colour with a purple rim; the bouquet rich and ripe, smoky black cherry with herbal high-notes. Succulent and concentrated, powerful but smooth as silk on the tongue. Great flesh and density, texturally superb, rich and smooth. Long aftertaste. It's not a delicate ethereal style, but generous and full of flavour and character. Very cellar-worthy. It has a lot of tannin and needs food if drunk young. Drink 2017-2027."  Huon Hooke, The Real Review – 96 points

"A very cool growing season, with picking approx, one month later than average, finishing with excellent heat. No whole cluster. Dark, deep, youthful purple-red colour. Bright, up-front and aromatically lifted red berry fruits notes show with red florals, subtle fresh herb elements and suggestions of whole berry fermentation jam and confectionary nuances. On the palate deliciously juicy, sweet and lush with a broad spectrum of flavours from raspberry fruits, confectionary, complexing herbs and florals. The richness gives way to fine-grained, dry tannins, which lend a firm, underlying line. The wine has accessibility, and the fine textures lead to a vibrant, lively, dry finish. This is an elegant, accessibly, open-fruited Pinot Noir with fine, drying tannin structure. It will develop over the next 6-7 years."  Raymond Chan – 18.5/20 points ★★★★★

"This is a quintessential Ata Rangi pinot that we know and love, exhibiting sensuality with seductive power. The bouquet is engaging and most appealing with aromas of dark cherry, plum, dried herb and floral with a touch of almond. It's supremely elegant yet intense and persistent. The wine shows seamless mouthfeel and texture, within a frame of fine/firm tannins. At its best: 2015 to 2025."  Sam Kim, Wine Orbit – 96 points

About martinborough

Martinborough is one of the three sub-regions of the Wairarapa wine region in the southern part of New Zealand's North Island. It is world renowned and by far the most important sub-region (the other two being Gadstone and Masterton), so is considered here to be a region to avoid confusion.

The small, picturesque town of Martinborough and its surrounding district are home to some of New Zealand's most highly respected boutique wineries. Martinborough lies in a wide river valley between the Rimutaka mountain range and the eastern Wairarapa hills. The Ruamahanga River meanders through the region on its way to Palliser Bay, 32 kilometres to the south. The first vines were planted here by James Busby in 1838 when he was sent from England to collect samples of all grape varieties for potential introduction into Australia (he found that European vines did not grow well in Australia, but thrived in New Zealand's climate conditions). However, it was not until the 1970's that it was discovered as a prime site for viticulture. In 1978, a scientific report compared the climate of the region with that of Burgundy in France, and a few pioneering vignerons began to buy land around Martinborough and plant it with vines.

The viticultural focal point of the region is the Martinborough Terrace – a raised plateau of alluvial gravel just north of the town that has been forced up over time by tectonic movement. The free-draining nature of this soil is excellent for viticulture because it limits the hydration of the vines, leading to stress. These stressed vines put their energy more into producing small, concentrated berries than leafy foliage, increasing the quality of the grapes and subsequently the wines. Similar soils extend around this small area, notably further east, in the unoffical Te Muna sub-region. Vineyards can also be found further south of Martinborough although this region tends to be cooler with a more mixed soil makeup, often with slightly higher levels of clay.

Despite the fact that Martinborough has only three percent of all of New Zealand's vineyard land, it is still widely considered to be one of the country's prime wine regions. Its claim to fame is the exceptional quality of its Pinot Noir wines, produced by some of the most highly regarded wineries in New Zealand.

"Martinborough's reputation for producing high-quality pinot has been known for almost as long as the region's existence, but it's a reputation that has seen extraordinary growth in recent times. 'When I came here in 1986 there were only four wine producers,' says McKenna, who to many is recognised as one of the region's father figures. 'Three of them are amongst the best that are still here', referring to Martinborough Vineyard, Ata Rangi and Dry River. 'It's fair to say,' he continues, 'that the combination of vine age and producers' experience with the district has certainly equated to a gradual increase in quality.' The pursuit of excellence is always top of mind, to which Ata Rangi winemaker Helen Masters attests. 'If I need something done, there's no question about cost, time, effort,' she says. 'We just make it happen.' The irony, as any visitor to the region is bound to hear, is that Martinborough contributes just one per cent of New Zealand's annual grape crush but is home to 10 per cent of the country's winemakers. If that's not saying something about the quality of the wine, what is?

The wines here are centred on a few key varieties, but unlike many other regions, are almost impossible to pigeonhole. Everything from the flat, free-draining gravel vineyards of the Martinborough terrace to the denser stony clay soils of Te Muna Road, the heavy focus on terroir, vintage, or clonal selection, or all of the above, results in a wealth of wine styles that share the common ground of elegance and richness and speak loudly of time and place.

Pinot noir is by far the region's hero – which typically, thanks to the region's climatic similarities to Burgundy, produces beautiful medium-bodied wines with dark plum fruit flavours and distinct savoury characters – followed closely by luscious pinot gris and mineral-like sauvignon blanc, as well as chardonnay, riesling, gewürztraminer and syrah.

The township was established in the late 1870s by John Martin, an Irish landowner whose patriotism for home remains evident in the Union Jack-shaped town square. However, the region's modern wine industry wasn't established until a century later after soil scientist Dr Derek Milne conducted a report that yielded the resemblance-to-Burgundy results. He subsequently founded Martinborough Vineyard; others soon followed suit and those four or five founding producers spawned a progressive farming community that lives and breathes the 'wine is made in the vineyard' philosophy. It's a special place."  Dom Sweeney, Gourmet Traveller Wine

About the winery

Ata Rangi, meaning 'dawn sky' or 'new beginning', is a small, family-owned, organic winery in Martinborough that has a reputation for producing exceptional quality pinot noir. Ata Rangi was founded by Clive Paton in 1980. The first vines were planted on a small, stony sheep paddock at the edge of the Martinborough Village. Clive's sister Alison bought an adjoining block soon after and in 1986 Clive's partner Phyll Pattie bought a share in the business after moving from Marlborough where she had been working as a winemaker.

Today, 42 years on, Ata Rangi has an enviable reputation as one of the new world's most respected pinot noir producers. Alison Paton heads up the day-to-day running of the business, with Helen Masters crafting the wines aided by the vital stewardship of vineyard manager Braden Crosby.

Ata Rangi farms around 32 hectares, spread over 14 vineyards, that are clustered around the village of Martinborough. The sites feature the characteristic Martinborough Terrace profile of 300-600mm of shallow silt-loam overlaying 25-30 metre-deep alluvial gravels. The McCrone and Masters Vineyards are differentiated by a higher percentage of clay within the gravels.

Ata Rangi's home vineyards attained full organic status in 2014. Weeds are managed with under-vine weeding tools, with a combination of cultivation and mowing. The vineyards' biodiversity is enhanced by a mixture of native and exotic shelterbelts and inter-row wildflower planting that provide havens for native predatory and beneficial insects. Compost is made on-site from grape stalks, skins, and yeast lees, mixed with seaweed, forest floor duff and harvested green crops.  This mix is utilised in the vineyard to make compost tea for vine health and boost organic matter within the soil.

Fruit is drawn from a diverse range of vineyards, each managed to suit its soil and clonal diversity. This individualised care, alongside the age of the original vines which are now reaching 40 years old, are both major factors in the quality and consistency of the wines from year to year. Spring is often cool and windy which reduces fruit set, so yields are naturally low. Summer days are consistently warm, though nights are generally cool. Autumn is often long and dry, perfect for hand harvesting. 

The Ata Rangi winemaking philosophy is a simple, hands-off, traditional approach focused on finding the true expression of the place. They see wines from Martinborough as having real depth of palate with texture and length. They aim for balance in all their wines, so use winemaking practices such as whole bunch and barrel ageing to ensure that vineyard expression remains the hero.

Each season brings its own unique growing conditions. Cooler vintages express more herbal and spicy notes, whereas a warmer season delivers fuller fruit aromas. Staying true to the vintage means the wines will express these features. They focus on harvesting at the point where ripeness is "optimum” i.e where sugar, tannin and acid intersect at a "just on the cusp of ripeness”, and tension and vibrancy of aroma are balanced with tannins.

Whole bunch inclusion plays a role in the fermentations of the pinot noir — the level of which varies according to site and vine age, which can be from 20 to 100% with the remainder de-stemmed. The fermentation that takes place within the whole berry along with the contact with the stems, lifts the aromas and gives a fine flow to the tannins. 

Due to the close proximity to the South Pacific Ocean, the temperate climate results in an extended growing season, allowing the fruit to ripen slowly. This enables the tannins in the seeds and skin of the grapes to fully ripen. This is reflected in the Ata Rangi style,  a backbone of fine tannins, supported by vibrant acidity which gives a structure to the wines that afford them real age-ability.