2019 Ata Rangi McCrone Pinot Noir, Martinborough

This vineyard is located 400 metres from the winery, with soil presenting a layer of clay through to the alluvial gravel. There is a strong umami character here, which I have partially seen in some of the previous wines, but in this particular case, it is rather apparent. Seaweed, soy sauce, and black olive tapenade, with ironstone and ferrous characters contributing to the interest of this wine. The length is impressive, thanks to its elevated acidity, which is just like a stream of fresh water going on and on and on. Think of when you wake up in the morning, throw some fresh water on your face; that is the kind of level of refreshment that I’m talking about. Pristine, translucent, balanced, and considering the amount of oxidation that this wine has gone through since the opening of the bottle (which happened the day before, in the morning), it’s incredible how splendid it is, even more so because it can withstand the feared oxygen test so gracefully. Cheers to that.

96 points Lisa Cardelli for Wine Pilot “The Coolness of Ata Rangi”

The McCrone Vineyard is a mere 400m from the Ata Rangi winery, and has been designated as a single-vineyard wine for over a decade. It's typically a fuller-flavoured profile from this site, and no disappointment from this 2019 release. Deep, dark cherry, cola and choc-truffles, gingery spice and cedar with salted licorice, sage leaf and bay leaf in tow. Potent in the palate, it rumbles along, rich and round with a pleasing, cinching tug of dusty, sinewy tannin finishing dry, savoury and herbal. Bold, rambunctious and yet balanced beautifully. Enjoy the power and grace. Drink to 2034.

95 points Mike Bennie for Halliday Wine Companion, September 2024

A little closed and woody presently but there is a perfumed, layered and almost lacy character within this red and black berried, floral and actually quite pretty wine. Mid-weight flavours on a light-weight frame, it is elegant, flowing and driven on the palate before concentrated flavours of savoury tomato and dried herb emerge and the wine expands and firms up towards the back. Very fine, detailed and persistently structural tannins provide scaffolding for the floral and berry notes to evolve into something deeper, more coffee-ish and mushroomy. Not an immediate blockbuster style but quietly powerful. Drink to 2039.

95 points Stehen Wong for The Real Review, January 2024

More about this wine

The McCrone vineyard is a four-hectare block across the road from Ata Rangi. Planted in 2001 to a mix of Pinot Noir clones that included the Abel, 5 and Dijons 115, 667 and 777, the vines stand in clay soils over gravel. The vineyard was purchased by Ata Rangi in 2012 and has been certified organic since 2014.

The 2019 was a third successive vintage of small yields, but producers across New Zealand proclaimed it their best-ever in quality.

About Ata Rangi

Ata Rangi was founded by Clive Paton in 1980 in Martinborough, Wairarapa, at the southern end of New Zealand’s North Island. Today, Alison Paton heads up day-to-day running of the business, with Helen Masters leading the work at the winery while Ian Ewart’s team looks after the vineyards.

Fruit is sourced from three estate sites within a few kilometres of one another within the Martinborough Terrace area on the northside of the town of Martinborough. All share general soil profile is 300–600mm of silt-loam over 25–30 metres of free-draining alluvial gravel. Additional fruit is sourced from The Masters vineyard on the southside of the town.