Ata Rangi Crimson Pinot Noir 2024

Reviews

James Suckling (JamesSuckling.com): 94/100. Perfumed and pretty, showing the quality of the beautiful 2024 vintage. Aromas of sliced oranges and strawberries. Some crushed stones. Medium body, firm tannins and crunchy fruity at the end. Linear and bright. Drink now.

Cameron Douglas MS: 94/100. It is delicious! A vibrant bouquet of fruit reflecting the variety and stellar vintage with aromas and flavours of ripe dark skinned red berry fruits, plum and cherry, baked raspberry and earth-smoke of dark clay and stone. There’s a judicious measure of wood with suggestions of some clove dust and vanilla then a gentle wood smoke quality. Fine tannins and medium+ acid line a wine ready to drink today and through 2032.

Tasting Note

An expressive nose of red fruits, with hints of pink peppercorn, hibiscus, fresh sage and rosemary. The palate opens to plush fruit, with a dash of graphite and crushed rock. The tannins are finely textured, like crisp cut velvet. This wine has a salivating, exciting quality that sets it apart from Crimson of other years. An all-encompassing wine that drinks beautifully now, its persistence and energy will reward those who cellar.

Winemaker Helen Masters explains: "Crimson is about accessibility. We'd like people to have the experience of a good Pinot Noir, explore the variety and Martinborough's unique impact on it."

Aromas and flavours:

Additional information

Type: red wine

Grape Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

Vintage 2024: Arguably the best in 45 years at Ata Rangi. A wet winter was followed by drying winds and spring frosts. Fewer bunches materialised on the shoots, but a good flowering and fruit set resulted in small but fully formed bunches. A glorious summer rolled on to provide beautiful skin and tannin ripe fruit, with perfect acidity. An excellent vintage that has materialised exciting wines with great longevity.

Winemaking: Harvest fruit was hand-harvested with the majority (80%) destemmed and a small parcel (20%) whole bunch fermented. Indigenous yeast ferment took place in stainless-steel tanks before the wine was racked off into French oak barrels for 12 months. As winemaker Helen Masters puts it: "The winemaking philosophy is the same as for our signature Pinot Noir: no enzymes or yeasts are added, providing a hands -off, traditional approach which we feel more truly expresses the site."

Cellaring potential: 5-15 years

Alcohol: 13.5% vol

Residual sugar: 0 g/l

Bottle size: 0.75l

Notice: contains sulphites

Closure: Screwcap

Ingredients:Raw materials: Grapes, Preservatives: Sulphur dioxide (E 220), Acidity regulators: Tartaric acid (E 334), Packaging gases: Carbon dioxide , Nitrogen

Produced and bottled by: Ata Rangi Vineyard, PO Box 43, Martinborough 5741, New Zealand

Distributor: vinabonus GmbH, Simmedenweg 40, 34134 Kassel, Germany

Why Crimson? 

The name Crimson was inspired by the work of the Charitable Conservation Trust known as PROJECT CRIMSON. Founded in 1990, its aim is to plant and protect New Zealand's stunning and much-loved red-flowering native Christmas trees, pohutukawa and rata. The idea for Crimson Pinot Noir evolved from owner Clive's approach to the trust in 2003 for advice and support in his quest to re-establish rata across the lower North Island.

A portion of proceeds from the sale of Crimson helps to fund the trust.

Can't get enough of Pinot Noir? Discover our Pinot Noir assortment.