Mini Verticals are great to see the impact of vintages, as well as identifying a winery's style.
In the last couple of days, I experienced the Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2016, 2017 and 2020.
The 2020 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir shows a bright crimson colour. The nose is quite perfumed. Red and black cherry fruit, cranberry, licorice and five spice deliver complexity on the palate. There is a good balance between fruit and savoury characteristics. The tannins are fine and the finish is very long. The wine is quite tight at the moment. On the second day, it opened up a bit more, but the wine is probably in its sleeping window, typical for some Pinot Noirs. It is too early to drink. If you do, you must decant the wine for at least three hours.
Score: 96/+++
The 2017 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir is quite different. This is a brooding wine, darker, with forest floor and forest berries. There is a lot going on here. Black cherry and spice are significant flavours, but it is a very savoury wine with some game on the palate. This wine is big and mouth-filling (not as concentrated as the Place of Changing Winds Pinot Noir I recently reviewed). The wine has great personality. The silky tannins lead to a long finish.
Score: 97/+++
The 2016 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir is more fruit orientated, still very fresh, more open, not brooding. Black cherry, pomegranate and licorice are the main flavours. This is an elegant wine, very silky, very long. Interestingly, on day 2, it was much weightier than on the first day.
Score: 95/+++
Overall, the Ata Rangi impresses with flavour complexity, a very satisfying mouthfeel, silky tannins and a long finish.
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