2011 Ata Rangi Chardonnay Craighall

The 2011 Craighall Chardonnay is made from Mendoza clone fruit harvested from 29-year-old vines and aged in about 25% new oak (300-liter barrels) with 40% of the blend undergoing malo-lactic fermentation. It is more closed than the Petrie and has a bit more tropical fruit character accented with a nice toasty and nutty character, scents of apricots, almonds and a touch of ginger. The medium to full-bodied palate has a lovely satin-like texture that is rich and generously endowed with flavor layers before finishing long. It is approachable now and will drink to 2018+. A winery that really needs no introduction for NZ Pinot lovers, there’s not much for me to add about the long-serving, dedicated team behind Ata Rangi – they just go from strength to strength. The Pinots have always been great, and yet even in a world where the Pinot benchmark gets higher every year, Ata Rangi is better than ever. (Almost equally impressive though are Petrie and Craighall Chardonnays, clearly getting a lot of love in the cellar from highly skilled winemaker Helen Masters.)