{"product_id":"2022-ata-rangi-martinborough-pinot-noir-liberty","title":"2022 Ata Rangi, Martinborough Pinot Noir - Liberty","description":"\u003cp class=\"MuiTypography-root accordion_paragraphSection__v26kt MuiTypography-body1\"\u003eAta Rangi, meaning ‘dawn sky, new beginning’ in Te Reo Māori, is widely regarded to be among New Zealand’s finest and most sought-after Pinot Noir producers. Longtime winemaker Helen Masters, who joined Ata Rangi in 2003, has played a key role in building this reputation, with Rebecca Gibb MW (Vinous) commenting that she “nails it every year, whither the season”, making wines that “always manage to balance ripeness of fruit with a delicate hand”. In 2019, Helen was awarded New Zealand Winemaker of the Year by Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine, in recognition of her 16 years working at the estate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MuiTypography-root accordion_paragraphSection__v26kt MuiTypography-body1\"\u003eAta Rangi is owned and managed by Clive Paton, his partner Phyll and sister Alison. In 1980, Clive planted a bare, stony home paddock at the edge of Martinborough, becoming one of just a handful of people pioneering grape growing in the area. Ata Rangi’s first vineyard covered less than five hectares of vines, planted on deep, free-draining alluvial gravels that mark the original course of a local river that flows from the hills flanking the valley's eastern side. Clive was an early enthusiast of the now-famed Abel Pinot Noir Clone, having purchased 3,000 cuttings of it from Malcolm Abel's west-Auckland vineyard in the 1980s. Also known as the ‘gum boot clone’, the cuttings are purported to hail from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and were smuggled to New Zealand in a gum boot before Malcolm, a customs officer, confiscated them in the 1970s. These remarkable vines are now Ata Rangi’s oldest and are used to make the fabled Ata Rangi Pinot Noir, which is textural, deep and seamlessly balanced; it has long been the standard bearer for Martinborough Pinot Noir.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MuiTypography-root accordion_paragraphSection__v26kt MuiTypography-body1\"\u003e‘McCrone’, ‘Kotinga’ and ‘Masters’ are three single-vineyard Pinot Noirs made by Ata Rangi in tiny quantities. Though made similarly, they offer three distinct, site-specific expressions of this famed grape. The ‘McCrone’ Pinot Noir, sourced from vines planted in 2001 using a mix of clones, is planted just around the corner from Ata Rangi’s home block. Its remarkably different soil composition, with a compact clay seam, produces a silkier wine than the classic, textural style of Martinborough Pinot Noir. The ‘Kotinga’ Pinot Noir is aged in 2,280-litre foudre to enhance the bright, crunchy qualities of the Dijon clones grown on this site’s free-draining alluvial gravels. The ‘Masters’ vineyard is owned and farmed by Ata Rangi winemaker Helen Masters and her family. As the most southerly of the Ata Rangi sites, it is generally harvested around one to two weeks later than the other vineyards. Ground spice complements the fresh red berry aromas and flavours of this wine, which is elegant, layered and dynamic with fine tannins and supple acidity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MuiTypography-root accordion_paragraphSection__v26kt MuiTypography-body1\"\u003eAta Rangi’s ‘Crimson’ Pinot Noir, produced from vines aged between 5 and 25 years, is inspired by New Zealand’s red-flowering native pōhutakawa and rātā trees. Sales of this wine support Project Crimson, a charitable conservation trust which plants and protects these trees across the country. Clive is an avid conservationist, planting more than 75,000 native trees at Ata Rangi’s ‘bush block,’ 20 minutes south of Martinborough. In 2012, Clive was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his contribution to both viticulture and conservation in New Zealand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MuiTypography-root accordion_paragraphSection__v26kt MuiTypography-body1\"\u003eTheir ’Potiki’ Chardonnay, Māori for ‘last born’, is a blend of newer plantings and more established blocks in the Martinborough Terrace. Fermented in 300-litre puncheons and aged for 11 months on lees, it displays impressive poise and focus, derived from the deep alluvial gravel soils. Outside of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Ata Rangi also dabble in Pinot Gris. Influenced by the wines of Alsace, it is fermented in large barrels, resulting in a wine of lovely weight and texture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"MuiPaper-root MuiAccordion-root accordion_accordion__I9cut Mui-expanded MuiAccordion-rounded MuiPaper-elevation1 MuiPaper-rounded\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"MuiCollapse-root MuiCollapse-entered\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"MuiCollapse-wrapper\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"MuiCollapse-wrapperInner\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv role=\"region\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"MuiAccordionDetails-root\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1\"\u003eAta Rangi's vineyards are situated in Martinborough, in the Wairarapa region to the north of Wellington. In early 2014 their vineyards achieved full organic certification. Grapes are planted on a thin layer of well-drained alluvial soil. The Ata Rangi Pinot Noir is the blend of their oldest vines from the Home Block, Cambrae, Champ Ali, Walnut Ridge, Dimattina and Boundary Road vineyards. These parcels of fruit come from vines that range from 25 – 43 years of age, the oldest pinot noir plantings on the Martinborough Terrace. The clonal make up is unique to the region with the major portion (40%) being the Abel clone. This clone is later to flower and avoids some of the worst of the spring weather.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"MuiPaper-root MuiAccordion-root accordion_accordion__I9cut Mui-expanded MuiAccordion-rounded MuiPaper-elevation1 MuiPaper-rounded\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"MuiCollapse-root MuiCollapse-entered\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"MuiCollapse-wrapper\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"MuiCollapse-wrapperInner\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv role=\"region\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"MuiAccordionDetails-root\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1\"\u003eThe 2022 season started well with no real frost damage and good canopy growth. Warm weather in October and November resulted in a good solid flowering. January was dry and very warm with veraison starting well around 24th January but then stalling with the rain and cool weather that hit in early February and continued throughout the month. Earlier ripening clones such as clone 5 and the Dijon selections were more adversely affected than the stalwart Abel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe fruit was meticulously handpicked to ensure only the best fruit made it across the sorting table. 40% of the fruit was then whole bunch pressed, with the remainder destemmed. Fruit from the different clones and vineyards were kept separate during fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Fermentation continued for between 15-23 days until pressing. The wine then underwent malolactic fermentation in barrel and spent 11 months in low-toast French oak barriques, of which 35% were new. The wine was blended and held in stainless steel tanks for a further eight months before bottling.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA fragrant nose of rosehip, strawberry and warm spices such as cardamom and clove, with more savoury notes of cranberry, orange peel and lamb jus developing on the palate. The wine is velvety, balanced and buoyed by fresh acidity and fine tannins that give concentration and length through the palate.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Wine Tasting Adventure","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56254042210682,"sku":null,"price":46.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0527\/4297\/9770\/files\/3996eb2f-2f52-4133-844d-369ee47ab8c3__250x500_59fc41ca-c8d9-4c6d-85f8-6cabc21e3f61.png?v=1764592879","url":"https:\/\/www.wine-ta.co.uk\/products\/2022-ata-rangi-martinborough-pinot-noir-liberty","provider":"Wine Tasting Adventure","version":"1.0","type":"link"}