2008 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir McCrone Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Pale to medium ruby in color, the 2008 McCrone Vineyard Pinot Noir is made with fruit from the recently acquired six-hectare McCrone Vineyard, which is 13 years old and has clay in the soil profile that other sites don’t have. It shows off a pretty core of black cherry, red currant and warm cranberry accented by hints of spice, anise, some yeast extract, soy and meat. Medium-bodied with low to medium levels of grainy tannins, it is elegant, concentrated and long through the finish. Drink it now 2018. A winery that really needs no introduction for NZ Pinot lovers, there’s not much for me to add about the long-serving, dedicated team behind Ata Rangi – they just go from strength to strength. The 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. (Almost equally impressive though are Petrie and Craighall Chardonnays, clearly getting a lot of love in the cellar from highly skilled winemaker Helen Masters.)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The third vintage for visionary Oregon grapegrowers Don and Carole McCrone who also own a top-notch, four-hectare Pinot vineyard in Oregon, supplying grapes there to leading producer Ken Wright Cellars. Ata Rangi was sought out for Don and Carole's southern hemisphere dream. We planted their neighbouring block for them in a mix of proven, quality clones and in what we consider an ideal trellis and spacing for the block. Over 20 years of experience in the Ata Rangi team at the time of planting fast-tracked this relatively young vineyard, and the fruit is showing great promise. Mid crimson. Tight and fresh on the nose. Rather more refreshing than the regular bottling – younger vines bringing more acidity? Just a hint of coffee but not sweet. Vigorous even if less deep flavoured than the regular bottling. (JR)