Ata Rangi 10 Year Vertical, 30 Years on�.

If you have ever had the pleasure of meeting Clive Paton, and listened to him recount the seemingly mad possibility of starting a vineyard in Martinborough 30 years ago, then you will understand how much love was in the room at Comme for a 10 year vertical of Ata Rangi Pinot Noir. Some of Melbourne's most celebrated Sommeliers, media and distributors were there, and they were all pumped at having an opportunity to sit through a most enjoyable tasting. Having Helen Masters present (Clive assures us she is the engine room of the business), added an extra element of cerebral enjoyment to the occasion.


The tasting spanned the years of 2000-2009 with a couple of ring-ins made from a relatively new vineyard that is owned by the McCrones. It appears that they are successful growers now in both hemispheres, supplying 'top notch' Pinot Noir from their vineyard in Oregon, as well as from their vineyard that was planted in 2000 with the help of the team of Ata Rangi. Clive gleefully recounted how different it was to plant a vineyard 20 years on, but also admitted if he were to do it again today, the plan would also be changed. This is the essence of the Pinot Noir producer; never satisfied, and never happy to sit still.


The tasting itself merely affirmed what a wonderfully consistent producer Ata Rangi is. Helen Masters was almost apologetic about how different each of the vintages were, but we were all rapt to see vintage variation shining alongside the unmistakeable signature that is Ata Rangi Pinot Noir.


Below are my notes on the wines for the day.

2009 Ata Rangi (Assembled not bottled)
Bright colour not as deep as other recent vintages; there is a bit more red fruit evident in the perfume, with more Asian spices than cool dried herb/savoury notes; deeply fruited bouquet, with an alluring underpinning of fresh herbs; the palate shows depth, while exhibiting an overarching elegance to its personality, and revealing (in time) an incredible sweet spot of red fruits; this is a lovely Ata Rangi that is ultimately fine, layered, long and powerful.

2008 Ata Rangi
Since the first time I saw this wine I have been a big fan, and I still am; the colour is deeper than the 2009, and the fruits darker and more brooding; this Ata Rangi shows great structure, and the palate reveals a dark, meaty, dried herb extract that gives way to luscious fruits and plentiful silky fine tannins; the length is nothing short of stupendous, and while delicious today, drink the lovely 2008 Crimson until 2012, when this wine should be in the zone.

2008 Ata Rangi McCrone (Not yet available)
An interesting contrast to the previous wine built around the legendary Abel clone; this wine relies on the newer Dijon clones, and they provide a more minerally wine with more pronounced acidity, and a prominence of bright red fruits, touching on cherry; this is a young vineyard (planted in 2000), and the quality suggests the future is very bright; the finish is very different, offering a lighter fruited conclusion, but also revealing a little more heat; perhaps a function of vine age.

2007 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir
The bouquet and the colour speaks volumes about the low crop of the vintage; impenetrable in colour and the bouquet is only just starting to show some pinot fragrance; this is intense! It seems the fruit is starting to open up and the offer the spectacular fruit of the vineyard; what power, and while almost obscenely concentrated, there is an attractive element that should reveal a deeply ageworthy wine in 10-15 years; let's hope there is still some around to find out.

2006 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir
The first wine to show a little development, with earth, game and spice being enveloped by a seductive and sexy array of red and black fruits; curiously the dried/mountain herb notes (think cool) are giving way to Asian all spice and the acidity provides life and lift; still firm and concentrated, but lovely balance here.

2006 Ata Rangi McCrone (Tiny amount available in Australia now)
Like the 2008, this wine displays a bright fruited and mineral bouquet, suggesting a taut and tightly wound wine; orange peel, red fruits and drying mineral tannins drive the palate; difficult to judge alongside the more opulent wines, but there is lovely purity and brightness; an interesting departure.

2005 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir
Colour is bright and this is in the slot! Really exaggerated delineation between fruit purity and downright sexy, savoury, secondary stuff; the palate is full flavoured and full throttle, with plenty of grip; the tannins are plentiful and really sexy, silky and provide incredible length on the finish; a lovely wine with serious structure.

2004 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir
A lighter example of Ata Rangi, and while alluring, it shows the difficulty of the vintage; slightly soupy fruit, lacking definition, but making up for that with warmth and expansive fruit across the palate; ultimately the fruit pulls up a little short.

2003 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir
Deep colour here, and the bouquet follows with heaps of dark fruit and savoury dried fruit/herb and gamey/meaty aromas and flavours; the palate is black, dense, menacing and deep, lacking finesse, but showing plenty of power, wrestling your senses to the ground before delivering a body blow of black fruits and tannin to conclude; massive.

2002 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir
The 1st under screw cap and evolving beautifully; again a cooler/difficult vintage; redcurrant notes with cinnamon and clove present, nestled alongside savoury leather and fresh turned earth complexity; I liked the sweet fruited palate, and the warmth on the finish, concluding with a long and supple completeness.

2001 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir
Under cork and a little bilgey/bonoxy, moving in to mushroom; I have seen fresher examples and it looks good if the closure is up to the challenge.

2000 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir
Suffering from TCA (3 bottles)

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