Only the oldest parcels of fruit are used in this, our premium Pinot Noir. The fabled Abel clone, allegedly smuggled from Burgundy in the mid-70s, makes up 40% of the blend. The result is a very complex, structured wine, beautifully perfumed in the classic Ata Rangi style.
2017 was a cooler than average vintage which is displayed in bright fruits of redcurrant, juniper and cranberry, with floral aromas of manuka flower, sandalwood, and spicy star anise. The palate is vibrant, supple and seamless due to a delicate tannin profile and fresh acidity.
2017’s cooler temperatures of the summer months brought the more delicate expression of the Martinborough Terrace to the fore, with overall growing degree days well below the normal range. Picking started two weeks later than average with ripe tannins but low sugars. This is highlighted in tension and elegance, rather than weight and power of a warmer vintage.
98 Points, James Suckling
"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."
