Ata Rangi 

2009 

New Zealand - Martinborough  

1 

1 

Magnum 

$175 

$220 

Ata Rangi Pinot Noir DRY $75 AV Reviewed 2012 Edition One of the greatest of all New Zealand wines, this Martinborough red is powerfully built and concentrated, yet seductively fragrant and supple. 'Intense, opulent fruit with power beneath' is winemaker Clive Paton's goal. 'Complexity comes with time.' The grapes are drawn from numerous sites, including the estate vineyard, planted in 1980, and the vines, ranging up to 31 years old, have an average yield of only 4.5 tonnes of grapes per hectare. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts and maturation is for 11 months in French oak barriques, 25 to 30 per cent new. The 2009 vintage (5*) is mouthfilling and very ripe-tasting. A 'serious', very youthful wine from a warm growing season, it is dense and notably savoury, with an array of cherry, plum, spice and nut flavours, finely textured and showing great harmony. Built to last, it's a highly complex wine, best opened 2013+. [Michael Cooper]

Michael Cooper: 5 Stars, 7/7, Super Classic Wine status. Drink 2011 to 2021. Cellared