Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2021

Ata Rangi Pinot Noir comes from Martinborough, at the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island, made by the family winery whose name means the sky at dawn. The estate was planted after research showed the region's climate and soils closely matched those of Burgundy, and the wines are built in that savoury, restrained style rather than a fruit-forward one. Martinborough sits in a rain shadow on free-draining river-terrace gravels, dry, low-fertility ground that keeps yields small and concentrates the fruit, while cool nights and a long autumn hold the acidity that gives the wine its tension. Farmed organically, the wine is aged in oak, a measured regime that softens the tannins and adds a light spice and vanilla frame through slow barrel oxygen exchange while leaving the cool-climate fruit and earthy character in front. The colour is bright ruby. The nose leads with red cherry and small red berries over rose petal, with an earthy, undergrowth note and a touch of pepper. The palate is medium-bodied, the tannins fine and silky, the acidity fresh through a long, savoury finish. Serve at 14 to 16 degrees in a wide glass, with roast duck, poultry or mushroom dishes.