Winemaking

The Ata Rangi winemaking philosophy is a simple, hands-off, traditional approach focused on finding the true expression of our place. We see wines from Martinborough as having real depth of palate with texture and length. These are qualities we focus on as we approach each vintage. We aim for balance in all our wines, so thoughtfully use winemaking practices such as whole bunch and barrel ageing to ensure that vineyard expression remains the hero.

Vintage expression.

Each season brings its own unique growing conditions. Cooler vintages express more herbal and spicy notes, whereas a warmer season delivers fuller fruit aromas. Staying true to the vintage means the wines will express these features. We focus on harvesting at the point where ripeness is “optimum” i.e where sugar, tannin and acid intersect at a “just on the cusp of ripeness”, and tension and vibrancy of aroma are balanced with tannins.

Our minimalist approach means that cultured yeast, enzymes or fining products are not employed. Filtration is used only for the white wines. 

Whole bunch.

Whole bunch inclusion plays a role in the fermentations of our pinot noir — the level of which varies according to site and vine age, which can be from 20 to 100% with the remainder de-stemmed. The fermentation that takes place within the whole berry along with the contact with the stems, lifts the aromas and gives a fine flow to the tannins. 

Whole bunch and on-skin fermentation is also utilised in our sauvignon blanc. Here we ferment portions of the blend just as we do for red wine. This technique allows more extraction from the skins which gives a more savoury texture and an exotic spice lift to the aroma.

Wines that age.

Due to the close-proximity to the South Pacific Ocean, our temperate climate results in an extended growing season, allowing the fruit to ripen slowly. This enables the tannins in the seeds and skin of the grapes to fully ripen. This is reflected in our style,  a backbone of fine tannins, supported by vibrant acidity which give a structure to the wines that affords them real age-ability.