Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2002 - ***** 5 stars The real McCoy. The type of wine that all our winemakers should aspire to make. A Kiwi icon and deservedly so. From the 100-plus new vintage pinots I've tried so far, it's clearly the best. Complex, perfumed, structured. Seriously good. $60.
Stephen Bennett, North & South Nov 2003
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2002 - 91 points The wine has the fruitiness of a blue-foot mushroom, a dark and savory character to balance the clean line of black cherry flavour running through it. Spice tracks that cherry fruit, a third rail to electrify the woodsy earthiness of the wine. The flavours are long, attesting to Martinborough's talents with Pinot Noir.
Wine & Spirits, Feb 2005
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2002 - 94 points If you want to splurge, try this one. New Zealand is becoming well known for its pinot noir. This is one of the best examples yet: ripe cherries and lots of body but not dense and over-extracted. Maximum power without maximum weight: like a well-engineered backpack. It has a haunting, eternal finish.
Natalie McLean website, Canada, Aug 2004
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2002 A little less rich and full than the 2001, the latest edition of this benchmark NZ pinot is a superfine wine that improves with every sip. The nose has cherry and spice, touched by herbal undergrowth mystery and classy oak. It tastes fresh, silky and intense with long and aromatic flavours, good structure and light tannin. Drink over 5 years.
Ralph Kyte-Powell, Epicure Uncorked 3 Feb 04
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2002 - A steep asking price, but you are purchasing a pinot from Martinborough, the southern hemisphere's most renowned pinot region. For the money, you get a red with a really sensual texture and bountiful, ever-changing aromas. As you should.
Greg Duncan-Powell, Sydney Morning Herald 24 Jan 2004
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2002 Wine of the Year. What can I say? Wow! This is perhaps the best 2002 pinot I have tasted all year. Deep ruby red with a gemmy glow. Totally enthralling and inviting aromas of smoky spiced berries and cherries with a slightly herbal savoury edge. Fruity to the taste with divine roast cherry and cracked berry flavours, a little earth, a touch of herb and creamy smoky oak binding it together with a gorgeous silky smooth texture that flows across the palate to culminate in a slightly tart finish warmed by the alcohol. Compared to something like a Shiraz, this is a medium weight wine that was just perfect for the food (turkey with roasted red cherries, and lamb) and the time of day.
Sue Courtney, www.wineoftheweek.com Dec 2003
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2002 - Deliciously crafted wine - as always, the standard by which other New Zealand Pinot Noir is judged. Awash in cherry and classy oak aromas with a whiff of viscera that is especially intriguing, the wine has a taste that is all satin texture, fruit and gentle persuasion. Elegance, wit and delicacy personified.
Keith Stewart, Listener 31 Jan 2004
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2002 It always seems like vinfanticide to taste, let along rate or write about, a wine as fresh and young as this. Yet one of the best things about Ata Rangi pinot noir is that it is deliciously approachable when young, with an almost feral aroma and taste adding to that vibrant black cherry flavour that defines great Martinborough pinot noir. Love its intense purity of style, voluptuous curvy weight and flavours that linger.
Joelle Thomson, NZ Herald Viva, 26 Nov 2003
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2002 A recent tasting of 10 vintages of Ata Rangi proved that winemaker Clive Paton is the current King of New Zealand Pinot. The dense, action-packed bouquet is dark cherry, ripe plums and sweet spices, with a hint of toasty oak. The equally potent palate reflects the nose. The finish is long and tightly structured. Cellar for 5 years or more.
Peter Bourne, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Jan 2004
"The 20 best tipples from the country's top wineries" Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2002 Without doubt, New Zealand's top pinot noir, not least because of its consistent, tart, black cherry tastes and evolving body and depth.
Joelle Thomson, NZ Herald, 11 Feb 04
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2002 This temptress from one of the country's most talked about producers is sexier than satin bedsheets - a lovely fragrant Martinborough Pinot Noir with multi-layered flavours and advanced complexity which makes it more approachable than usual at this age. Stunning.
Warren Barton, Dom Post Wine Guide Dec 2003
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2002 Alongside its peers, this stood out for its complexity, its supple texture and fine finish. 19 points
Paul Tudor, Christchurch Mail Oct 2003
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2002 - Undoubtedly the best of the 2002s from Martinborough. A little lighter than the 2000 and 2001, this has wonderfully classic Ata Rangi style with perfect structure and extraction. Beautifully crafted. It would be a crime if you didn't have some of this.....
Raymond Chan, Regional Wines Wellington Nov 2003
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2002 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir is our finest pinot for sheer consistency and this is another triumph.
Charles Gill, Daily News New Plymouth Dec 2003
Country:
New Zealand
Region:
NZ- Martinborough
Variety:
Wine Red - Pinot noir
Size:
750mL
