My first stop has been very windy Melbourne and while it’s taken me many months to finally get to Aus this initial post is actually about a New Zealand wine that has really blown me away.
I had a very fun first evening released from quarantine over at Prince Wine Stores in South Melbourne. I don’t think the people there could really believe I’d only been in the country 2 days (after two weeks quarantine…) but made me feel very welcome all the same! It’s an awesome set up there – amazing wine shop with delicious Italian restaurant next door. A not so sneaky connecting door lets you pop into the shop to choose a bottle or two to accompany your dinner…so much to choose!
I’d been lucky enough to try a bottle of this vineyards wine in the UK as The Wine Society had done an online tasting but I hadn’t tried their premium Pinot and Prince had an excellent selection I just couldn’t resist.
If you see Ata Rangi Pinot anywhere you’ve got to give it a go. Rumour has it a certain someone took a tour to Burgundy and took a cutting of the famed DRC Pinot vines, they snuck it back to NZ in a rugby boot (of course) and began planting those some fabled vines on Kiwi soil. Wind forward 30 years and you are now getting some amazing Burgundian style Pinots out of this place.
The name Ata Rangi means dawn sky or new beginnings and they are still a family run business today. Based in Martinborough, NZ, they have quite a similar terroir to Burgundy in terms of temperature, soils and climate.
I tasted both their 2018 Crimson and the 2017 Pinot Noir.
Crimson is made from their younger Pinot vines but they’re getting more mature and the quality of the wine is enhancing as a result. Sales of this wine also support tree planting conservation across NZ so you’re doing your bit for the environment drinking this one too! This wine has lovely red and black fruit with good levels of charred wood and earthiness coming through. It’s very moreish, dangerously so!
Their premium Pinot Noir is made from only the oldest parcels of fruit and you can really taste that age in the wine – delicious layers of complexity, great fruit and with those classic notes of earthy, mushroominess that Burgundy is so famous for. These wines are just going to get better and better.
Ata Rangi is definitely first on my list as soon as travel opens up to New Zealand again!
Looks like BBR has the 2017 in the UK. We will give it a go!