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Only the oldest parcels of fruit are used in this, our premium Pinot Noir. The fabled Abel clone makes up 40% of the blend. The result is a very complex, structured wine, beautifully perfumed in the classic Ata Rangi style.
The 2018 season was one of the warmest we’ve seen. On the Martinborough Terrace, a drier than unusual November and very warm December led up to regional temperatures breaking records in late January. This created a good buffer from the wetter and cooler weather that appeared at the back end of the season. Grapes were therefore picked pleasingly ripe and in great condition.
The resulting wine presents a medley of aromas on the nose: tree-ripened plums, mulberry, exotic five spice and liquorice. It has a gorgeous entry, opening smoothly into a full mid-palate. Flavours of rosehip entwine with a fine and savoury tannin structure that persists as an elegant, classic feature of Ata Rangi Pinot Noir.
Nga Waka was established at Martinborough in 1988. We are a family-owned winegrower producing small volumes of fine Martinborough wine from estate-grown grapes. Our name is taken from Nga Waka A Kupe (The Canoes of Kupe). The three hills, which lie side by side like upturned canoes, form the backdrop for the town of Martinborough and its surrounds.
Legend has it that the hills were formed by the three canoes of the famed Polynesian explorer Kupe, which were carried inland by a huge earthquake and came to rest in the valley behind Martinborough.
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