TN: Two recent Ata Rangi Pinot Noirs - how are they travelling? (2012 TN now added)

WINE TALK
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TWO RECENT ATA RANGI PINOT NOIRS - HOW ARE THEY TRAVELLING?__2008 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir- New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough
The product of a good, high yielding growing season. Under screw cap. Colour deep garnet. A more perfumed, attractive nose than the 2010, showing florals, largely red berry notes, warm earth and dry underbrush, and a touch of raspberry jam. More accessible and open textured on the palate than the 2010, more towards the red fruit spectrum of flavours, particularly spicy plums, raspberries, with clay and a savoury, dry brushwood finish. There is good fruit weight and structure here and plush, juicy fruit. The acids and fine grained tannins are in proportion and well integrated. My closest Burgundy analogy here was a Corton approaching maturity although this wine is unmistakably New World. Just hitting its drinking window now, I think, but years ahead of it, obviously. (92 pts.)

2010 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir - New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough
From a cooler vintage than 2008. Under screw cap. Colour deep red, marginally darker than the 2008. Also a dumber nose, more dark berry fruit, particularly dark cherries and blackberries, also damp soil and sous bois, espresso, umami and dried black herbs, with a hint of violets. In the mouth, more backward than the 2008. Primary, dense, brooding and seriously structured. Largely dark fruited flavours, with Porcini mushroom, soy sauce, minerals and black olive. Prominent acids, a bit disjointed, but with silky smooth tannins. At present, the flavour profile a little linear. This wine needs a minimum of five years cellar time and easily could handle more. My Burgundy analogy here would be a five year old Morey St Denis. However, with adequate cellar time, there is the dry extract and structure here that I would not be surprised if ultimately this blossomed into a better wine than the 2008. At present, 92. (92 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker

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Thanks for the notes, very erudite as usual…I am almost tempted.
I did enjoy a bottle of the Bell Hill 2010 a couple a weeks ago, I think you would like this wine.

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You’re welcome. I’ve like Bell Hill PNs the few times I’ve had them, but it’s an almost impossible wine to get. Are you on the list?

Cheers, Howard

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Yes

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What’s your annual allocation, if you don’t mind me asking? Also, do you ever see it for sale in any wine shop?

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This is good stuff. I had a chance to try it thanks to Mike During when I was visiting Wellington. Wished it was available easily. These wines seem to age nicely too.

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Don, for NZ wines AR does have a good track record for cellaring well.

I’m sure we can organise for you to try some more next time you’re out in NZ.

Cheers, Howard

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Although I have looked long and hard I have never seen a bottle in a wine shop.

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Howard,

Thanks for the notes on the Ata Rangi PN. We visited the winery this past month and had a chance to taste the 2012. Difficult year but with air it was a very nice drink. Agree with Don, I would very much appreciate being able to source these more easily in the States.

FWIW I happened to email the West Coast (US) distributor of Bell Hill regarding accessing bottles and he felt that he would know more in February but the number of bottles coming to this country was likely to be small. No suprise, as this thread would predict.

Cheers,
Doug

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The 2012 has just been released and, as Doug says, it is a good wine from a difficult year. In the future, it will be an interesting comparison with the 2013, which had excellent weather conditions.

Here’s the page in the Ata Rangi website for international orders: http://www.atarangi.co.nz/international-delivery.html

Cheers, Howard

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Hi Howard, thanks for the notes. Always have had a soft spot for Ata Rangi Pinot. Can you give me a quick run down on recent Martinborough vintage characteristics?

thnx brodie

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For anyone interested in Ata Rangi Brodie, Thierry’s thread (Ata Rangi 2013 Barrel Samples: let's get geeky on NZ Pinot - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers) of our barrel tasting of the 2013 pinot noir with winemaker Helen Masters, is a good place to start.

My brief comments on recent Ata Rangi pinot noir vintages are:

2013 Not released yet but potentially an outstanding vintage from a very good year, weatherwise. A vintage to look out for.

2012 A cooler year. See Thierry’s note in the thread. Elegant, restrained, balanced, savoury with good pinot noir typicity.

2011 A warmer season. From memory, a plush, riper, fuller expression.

2010 Above.

2009 Sorry, I can’t remember and haven’t opened any of my wines yet. Climatically, a mixed season. I’ve read very favourable reviews however.

2008 Above.

2007 A short vintage due to a very difficult year. Structured, muscular, powerful, a little backward, very impressive (see Search tasting notes for '2007 ata' - CellarTracker).

2006 Excellent growing conditions led to a crowd pleasing pinot noir. Widely regarded as the best Ata Rangi pinot noir of the noughties (see Search tasting notes for '2006 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir' - CellarTracker).

With their 28th vintage of pinot noir harvested, Ata Rangi have a great track record. I have previously done a 10 year vertical, which was interesting because you could see that the vintage variations make a big difference, but I believe you could still see the Ata Rangi vineyard terroir shine through.

I have just realised that when I have the 2013, I’ll have all vintages back to 2004 (my last bottle). So I might again do a 10 year vertical, when you’ll be back in NZ.

Cheers, Howard

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Brodie forgot to mention he has recently become interested in a properity in Martinborough called Brodie Estate!..home of fine Pinot Noir. [cheers.gif]
…or should I say “interest”…

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Hi Don, that was a fun lunch. Next time you will need more time so we can take you over to Martinborough. Helen at Ata Rangi is a good friend of us all. Cheers Mike

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What a coincidence - just finishing the 2010 AR I opened yesterday - agree very much with your notes Howard, but wondering whether among the “prominent/disjointed acid” there’s a touch of volatility. Definitely wants more time, showing something I’ve seen if a few ARs that I would describe almost as bbq clay (perhaps your espresso?) that I think ultimately turns good.

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Rauno, just finishing my '10 now. A touch of volatility and BBQ clay? Yes, I’ll buy that.

Wayne, Brodie and Brodie Estate? I’ll leave the man himself to comment.

All those who’ve emailed or PMed me with about the Bell Hill list, thanks for your advice and support! [cheers.gif]

Cheers, Howard

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Its real

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It seems to me that with a few years of age, 6-7 years and beyond, some of the AFWE tend to like the less heralded vintages of NZ Pinots. The fruit has settled down and some of the cooler elements of more difficult years can provide complexity. In the long term it will be interesting to follow 2012 and 2013. 2013 has produced some big and interesting wines. But maybe they will always be big to the point of never settling down.

On a slightly different topic, I recently tasted the 2013 release of the Ata Rangi Craighall Chardonnay and I was impressed. Helen mentioned that she has been picking her Chardonnay earlier to give that structure and freshness. I thought that was quite an outstanding wine and from a vintage that might not favoured subtlety in Chardonnay. I personally rate the AR Chardonnays as high as the Pinots.

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Thanks for the notes. I have the 2004 on deck and to be honest I was a little nervous about it. Now I am looking forward to it.

Jason

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Jason I’d be interested in your thoughts on the 2004.

I’m down to my last bottle (of the original 6) of the 2004. My previous bottle I put in a 10 year vertical. From memory (I have lost my notes) it was an atypical, leaner style, still drinking well though. A friend who is a Burgundy drinker and likes this style had it as his WoTN. But I think it would be a drink soon proposition.

Cheers, Howard