2009 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir Martinborough

Spring weather was settled, with quick and even flowering in December. The potential harvest was large, which meant a good deal of crop thinning for the crew. January was mild overall, and the vines were in excellent condition – well-equipped to handle the brief heat spike at the end of the month. The heat was reminiscent of 1988, but there was much less evidence of stress given healthy amounts of rain through the growing season. February brought cooler southerly weather, including some rain to delay the harvest, which began in fine autumn weather towards the end of March. In all, it was a warmer than average year, with particularly ripe seeds and tannins. GDD 1,270, 15% whole bunch. Heat spikes. Had to shade the fruit. But it seems much less ripe on the nose than the 2008. A little herbal along with that red-fruit freshness. The fruit is fresh rather than sweet here. Dry finesse and subtle tannins. Long. (JH)

Pale ruby -colored, the 2009 Pinot Noir has black raspberry and black cherry aromas with a bit of spearmint, chocolate and anise. It has a good core of ripe and expressive fruit, a low to medium level of very fine tannins and a long finish. 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.)

Light, bright red. Cherry, spices, flowers, smoked meat and a whiff of minerals on the nose. Supple and suave on the palate, with good weight and moderate definition to the red berry and smoky earth flavors. Finishes savory and slightly edgy. The palate doesn't quite deliver on the complexity of the nose, but this pinot offers considerable early appeal.