Country: New Zealand Region: Martinborough Varietal: Pinot Noir  Vintage: 2017 Colour: Red Style: Dry Producer: Ata Rangi Description: Ata Rangi is owned and run by Clive Paton and his wife Phyll, together with Clive's sister Alison and winemaker Helen Masters. Clive planted the bare, stony five hectare home paddock at the edge of Martinborough in 1980 and, in doing so, was one of a handful of people who pioneered grape growing in the area. Renowned for their Pinot Noir, which is consistently ranked as one of New Zealand's best, Ata Rangi also produces a range of white wines including Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Vineyards:   Crimson is a wine which was inspired by a love of New Zealand's native 'Christmas Trees' the rata and pohutukawa trees. Sales of this wine support Project Crimson, a charitable conservation trust which plants and protects these trees. The Pinot Noir grapes for Crimson are produced from 10-20 year old Martinborough vines in Lismore, Waiora and Walnut Ridge blocks. Vintage information: Every season leaves an imprint on the wine, and Crimson Pinot Noir 2014 is a very true reflection of the year's conditions. The spring of 2013 was unusually settled. Mercifully missing were the cold southerly winds often experienced in the Wairarapa, the benign weather delivering flowering conditions that normally reside in a winemaker's dreams. Overall, the growing season was mild with rain at regular intervals resulting in well-formed bunches and healthy canopies coming into the summer months. Fruit was picked between the 11th of March and 5th of April 2016. Vinification: The grapes were hand picked and 100% destemmed, keeping as much whole berry fruit as possible. Pre-fermentation maceration lasted between two and six days. The must was inoculated with indigenous yeasts and hand plunged during fermentation that lasted approximately two weeks. The wine was racked into barrel, of which 20% was new oak, where it remained for a further nine months after malolactic fermentation until bottling in February 2017. Tasting Note: The 2016 Crimson reflects the relaxed harvest with its enticing nose, a medley of bright red fruits, cranberry, rosehip, loganberry and a note of spicy red liquorice. The palate is divinely silky with tannins that are velvety and long. Already this wine shows great balance and seductiveness, the hallmark of 2016. Food match: Poultry / Pork / Mediterranean Food