Ata Rangi - Crimon Pinot Noir 2016

James Suckling

A very handy edition of Crimson pinot noir in 2016, this has a suave and grown-up feel to it. Innately complex and layered aromas, flavors and textures. This wine is packed with ripe red cherry and poached red plum fruits as well as inherently spicy, perfumed and earthy attributes. The way in which it rolls out on the palate is just superb; a silky, succulent and seductive red. Drink now. Screw cap.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Essentially Ata Rangi's second wine, the 2016 Crimson Pinot Noir is a jumble of conflictions when popped and poured: earthy yet red-fruited and silky yet coarse. Give it a quick decanting, however, and it comes around quite nicely, offering strawberry and raspberry fruit (there's still an underlying earthiness) and a smoother texture. Drink this medium-bodied wine over the next few years.

The Wine Front

Wine Enthusiast

Founder Clive Paton is a keen conservationist, and proceeds from the sale of this wine go toward Project Crimson, which replants threatened red-flowering trees around New Zealand. The nose is a little reductive, requiring a few minutes to get going in the glass, but when it does, it's quite fragrant, with bright red berry fruit, potpourri, floral, pepper and sap characters. It's medium bodied, and the juicy, slippery fruit is tightly wound with sappy, earthy tannins and slightly bitter oak spice. Drink now–2024.