Andrew Jefford: Deep black-red, yet clear in color. Plenty of warmth and ripeness here, with an exuberant, red-fruit character. The fruit is a little heat-affected: very slightly raisiny, with a cereal thickness to it. On the palate, this is long but rather dry, edgy, tangy. You can’t fault it for concentration, but climate/vintage/heat spike have pushed these grapes to the very edge. Australia? 12
Anthony Rose: Good primary youthful color. There’s an attractively bright aromatic quality to this Pinot, plenty of richly concentrated red-berry and sun-dried-tomato fruits, with a slight peppery edge to the fruit and such firm tannins and acidity that it comes close to being a dry red but just manages to retain its red-fruited Pinot character. New Zealand. 17
Joanna Simon: Deep, bright ruby. Delicately fragrant and perfumy, with hints of bergamot. Intense, concentrated palate, with black fruit, dark, bitter-chocolate and black-pepper notes, and smoky oak. Textured, without having Pinot Noir’s characteristic seductive silkiness—but still young. Fresh acidity. Full, with quite high alcohol. New Zealand? 16
Details
| Wine expert | Andrew Jefford Anthony Rose Joanna Simon |
| Tastings year | 2012 |
| Region | Wairarapa |
Ata Rangi
