2024 Ata Rangi Kotinga Pinot Noir, Martinborough

A lively, seductive pinot noir with a succulent, focused character, showing red cherries, bitter orange peel, warm herbs and some baking spices. Medium-bodied with silky tannins and crisp acidity, offering plenty of crunch on the palate and a vivid, flinty tension at its core, leading to a long, mineral finish. Drink or hold.

97 points Kevin Dacy for James Suckling, March 2026

Sleek, concentrated and luxurious in its pinosity. Refreshing, fine-grained tannins shape things well. Dark cherry, sarsaparilla, tart, red plums, redcurrants and a gentle dusting of exotic, sweet spice. A touch of ferrous savouriness in the mix, plus some slate-like minerality. Compact and elegant overall. Supreme balance and finesse. Drink to 2037.

96 points Mike Bennie for Halliday Wine Companion, March 2026

Sappy fruit aromas of redcurrant, vine tomato, blackberry and rosehip are joined by a whiff of dried herbs and anise. This is openly accessible with a broadly concentrated palate and excellent density of flavour, ranging from dried herb to earthy, warm spice and generous small berry fruit. It finishes with generosity and even a hint of wildness with ripe, mouth-coating, cocoa-like tannins and tangy acidity providing balance and length. This approachable yet elegant pinot noir can be enjoyed now or over the coming decade as it gets smoother and more savoury. Drink to 2038.

95 points Stephen Wong for The Real Review, June 2026

The latest release of this single vineyard Pinot by Ata Rangi hails from the excellent 2024 vintage. It opens with vibrant red currants, ripe raspberries and tart pomegranate juice. The aromas are lifted by savory notes of fresh tomatillo, before unfolding further with warm scents of orange peel, cardamom, and aniseed. The medium weighted silky palate is plush with red fruit flavours. There’s a flinty touch to the earthy undertones with a dusting of sun warmed dried herbs and baking spice, and fine dusty tannins run along the long, graceful finish.

The Kotinga Pinot is built for dishes that celebrate clean, bright, and slightly herbal or sweet-savory contrasts. Try with Mexican style seared duck breast served with a salsa combining green tomatillos, dried cherries and mint. Charcoal-Grilled zucchini with whipped goat’s curd, pomegranate and mint could do the trick if you feel like something lighter or need a vegetable side.

More about this wine

The Kotinga is a three-hectare vineyard planted in 2000 by Roger Gaskill on free draining alluvial gravels with Pinot Noir Dijon-clones 777, 115 and 667. The vineyard was purchased by Ata Rangi in 2015, and has been certified organic since 2018.

The 2024 vintage is described by winemaker Helen Masters as the best she has seen in her 22 years at Ata Rangi. The vines had great canopy balance, and a cool dry March allowed for exceptional phenolic ripeness combined with bright acidity.

The hand-picked grapes were fermented with indigenous yeasts and a 40% whole bunch inclusion. The wine was matured in large 2280L oak foudres to retain the bright floral red fruit the site provides and bottled unfined and unfiltered.

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.