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2019 Pinot Noir
£275 per 6 Bot Case, in bond
£346.07 duty & VAT paid
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.
98 points Nick Stock, jamessuckling.com
Ata Rangi's 2019 Pinot Noir is the whole package. It has a piercing, focused nose, offering clarity of fruit and the backing support of lightly spiced French oak. Reminiscent of fresh yet sweet cherry fruit and woody herbs on the palate, it also reveals a savory tobacco and game note that's oh-so-Martinborough. The wine sits comfortably in your mouth, like a ball being gently cupped. It delivers excellent concentration, and the fine, powdery tannins coat the palate, leaving you licking the inside of your mouth and experiencing the texture of river stones. The finish is long, fresh and fragrant. 2023-2036
97 Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
The 2019 vintage was a great year for New Zealand Pinot Noir, and this is a knockout. Here, whole-bunch fruit gives a strawberry liquorice approachability but there is an elegant structural frame to support its development. Aromas of red cherry and incense linger through a concentrated yet ethereal palate of grenadine, rosehip and tart plums, enlivened by deft oaking, mouthwatering juiciness and supple tannins. 2022-2030
97 points Tina Gellie, Decanter
I love the vibrancy an exuberance here. There's so much energy, with lots of complex berry and cherry character and a very long, floral finish. Firm tannins and racy acidity provide great structure and there's no shortage of power. It's already irresistible but will continue to develop for 10+ years.
Simon Quinn
2019 Vintage:
The 2019 growing season began well with a cool and wet winter and above average rainfall, which replenished the soil moisture content. From January onwards, conditions remained dry and cool, and there was an almost instant switch in the canopy from vegetative growth to ripening of the fruit. Temperatures in the summer were above average, but cooler than 2018. Most of the fruit was picked prior to any rainfall, so it was clean with good tannin ripeness, concentration and acidity. 2019 promises to be a good year for Martinborough Pinot Noir.
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Ata Rangi is renowned for its Pinot Noir and according to Tim Atkin MW, is widely regarded as New Zealand's top Pinot Noir producer. They have been awarded Five Stars in the '2013 Great New Zealand Pinot Noir Classification' by Matthew Jukes and Tyson Stelzer, for the gold medal standard of their recent vintages. At the 2010 International Pinot Noir Conference, Ata Rangi Pinot Noir was given the title of 'Tipuranga Teitei o Aotearoa' (which translates from Maori as 'Great Growth of New Zealand' or 'Grand Cru'), in recognition of their unique site and of the family's commitment to evolving and developing New Zealand Pinot Noir. The oldest Pinot Noir vines, which include a clone allegedly smuggled from Burgundy, were planted in 1980.
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There’s a widespread trend in New Zealand pinot noir that sees producers heading past the strawberries and cream zone and beyond simple varietal flavors. They are dialling down to greater detail and subtlety in their wines. This shift is delivering tannins that are more sturdily carved and fitted close around the sapid lively fruit in the bottle. New Zealand pinot has always been delicious but so many are now vastly more interesting and powerful without sacrificing any straight-up appeal.
- Nick Stock, Senior Editor jamessuckling.com
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