Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2011 Crimson Pinot Noir is made from younger vines and gives earthy, gamey, red currant and cranberry aromas laced with lovely yeasty and toasty notes. Medium-bodied and elegantly framed with crisp acid and soft tannins, it also finishes long. Drink it now to 2017. 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.)