Ata Rangi

Syrah is grown at Ata Rangi primarily as a blend component for our distinctive Célèbre, although in the best and warmest seasons we like to squirrel away just a few barrels to be bottled as a single varietal. The vines are close-planted on only our warmest and most sheltered sites. Swathes of reflective cloth, sun-heated river stones and glass bottles roughly smashed in Clive's old concrete mixer are used under vines to further boost heat and light. This limited volume Syrah 2010 release is richly perfumed with ripe mulberry and damson plum aromas mingling with headier notes of rose, Turkish Delight, star-anise and tamarind. First sips unveil hints of darker, more savoury, spiced meat and pepper characters. This is a complex wine, still vibrant, succulent, long and fine. Delicious now, we expect it will also cellar well for another three to four years in cool conditions.

This vintage has the intensity and structure that we love from Martinborough – complex notes of rose petal, blood orange, sandalwood, tamarind and toasted rice entice aromatically while the flavours of cranberry, cinnamon and bergamot tea align with the soft savoury notes of tobacco to taste. This structure makes for a beautifully food-friendly Pinot Noir.

Only fruit, from the oldest parcels of vines makes up 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 complex, structured wine, beautifully perfumed in the classic Ata Rangi style.

Good rainfall up to Christmas set the vineyards up well for what was a very dry Summer. Overall, the season was slightly warmer than average, but the cooler finish to the season meant vibrant acidity was retained, while tannins ripened fully. Smaller bunches and yields resulted in concentration and complexity, which will allow this 2019 to age beautifully.

A full fragrant nose of sun-baked raspberry, red rose, anise and dark cherry meld with delicate savoury notes of dried porcini and fresh herbs. The palate is a balance of power and freshness, with flavours of fresh red cherry carrying through to the finish. Complex yet ethereal, this vintage encapsulates our vision of Martinborough Pinot Noir.

Juliet is the embodiment of cool climate Syrah and our fourth release from the small, single block
of the sheltered Kahu Vineyard. Finely textured, with precision and poise, 'Juliet' is named in
honour of a special friend who exemplified elegance, charisma, grace and style - qualities we feel
are also well expressed in this wine from her family vineyard.
Deep ruby-red in colour with lifted florals of lilac entwined with notes of Damson plum,
chamomile tea with subtle hints of rosemary and black cardamon. Mid-palate tannins meld with
the fruit weight to give a satisfying depth, with bright acidity re-centring the palate for a long
lingering finish. The warmer season of 2018 has made for a delicious Syrah that will continue
to develop with time in bottle.

A brilliant season for the late ripening varietals that make up our Célèbre blend. The season finished with a long dry spell in April that enabled the merlot, malbec, cabernet franc and syrah to reach perfect ripeness.

A full and enticing nose of aromas; blackberry and boysenberry tempered by spice notes of cardamom and cinnamon and a more complex savoury hint of sweet cedar. A seamless blend of tannins, ripe fruit and oak carry the wine to a satisfying and balanced finish.

The merlot and malbec were fermented together, with a preferment maceration of around 4-6
days until indigenous yeasts complete the fermentation over ten to twelve days. The
fermenters are then closed up and the wine is left to slowly macerate with the skins for a
further 10 days. The syrah which ripens earlier is fermented separately with a shorter
fermentation period to keep it bright and floral. Pristine cabernet franc was 100% whole
bunch fermented and added an exotic high note to the blend. Aged in French oak for 22
months prior to bottling to soften the tannins and allow the wine to slowly open and evolve.


The 2019 Célèbre is a blend of merlot 45%, syrah 40% and small portions of malbec 10% and cabernet franc at 5%. This is a wonderful release of Célèbre, the significant vine age of 30 years and over, contribute to the concentration and complexity of this wine.