The fabulous 2006 Craighall Chardonnay displays subtle, beautifully interwoven oak (25% new), and the palate is imbued with exquisite harmony with delicate tropical notes of nectarine and peach. This is a sublime Chardonnay abounding with great finesse and style. When I asked winemakers to name New Zealand's greatest producers, one name kept coming up: Ata Rangi (meaning -new beginning-.) It was founded in 1980 by pioneering winemaker Clive Paton when he planted his first vines on a free-draining gravel terrace just outside Martinborough village. Paton was joined by Malcolm Abel two years later. Malcolm tragically died after one year and the vineyard was lost to urban development, but he had given Clive cuttings supposedly from none other than DRC and this -Abel Clone- is the basis of Ata Rangi's Pinot Noir (along with Clone 5 and Pommard clones). Head winemaker since November 2003 is Helen Masters, who oversees their own vineyards of approximately 30 hectares sourced under leased contracts. This was a superlative array of wines. Importers: Epic Wines, Santa Cruz, CA; tel. (831) 689-9080 and Domaine Select Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799; fax (212) 279-0499