Ata Rangi McCrone Pinot Noir 2020

Ata Rangi, meaning “dawn sky” or “new beginning” is a small New Zealand winery with a big reputation for serious Pinot Noir. Located at the southern end of the North Island, it is owned and managed by a family trio – Clive Paton, his wife Phyll and his sister Alison. Clive planted his first vines on a small, stony sheep paddock at the edge of the Martinborough village in 1980 as one of a handful of people who pioneered winegrowing in the area.

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.