Ata Rangi 'Celebre' Martinborough Syrah Cabernet Merlot 2018

Ata Rangi 'Celebre' Martinborough Syrah Cabernet Merlot 2018French oak Blueberry & boysenberry Dark chocolate Ripe tannins "A blend of merlot, syrah, malbec and cabernet franc made only in the warmest vintages. Elegant, warming wine with appealing fruit sweetness and an attractive mix of plum, cranberry, five spice, dark chocolate and spicy oak flavours. Good now but with a promising future" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Sep 2020 A full and enticing nose of aromas; blueberry and boysenberry

• French oak
• Blueberry & boysenberry
• Dark chocolate 
• Ripe tannins

"A blend of merlot, syrah, malbec and cabernet franc made only in the warmest vintages. Elegant, warming wine with appealing fruit sweetness and an attractive mix of plum, cranberry, five-spice, dark chocolate and spicy oak flavours. Good now but with a promising future" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Sep 2020

A full and enticing nose of aromas; blueberry and boysenberry tempered by darker spice flavours of cocoa nib and black cardamom, add to that complex savoury notes of manuka bark and sundried tomatoes. The palate sweeps in with flavours of cranberry and a mineral sensation that lingers through the length of the palate. The tannins are ripe and balanced. An impressive release of this wine, delicious drinking now but with a concentration and structure that will allow this wine to further evolve.

2018 was a warm vintage that served well for the later ripening varietals that make up this special blend. The 2018 Celebre is a blend of Merlot 47%, Syrah 41% and small portions of Malbec & Cabernet Franc at 6% each. The Merlot and Malbec portions are from vines planted in 1984 and 1986, they portions were the stars of this vintage with the slightly warmer nights delivering depth of flavour and fully ripe tannins that we don’t achieve every vintage.

The Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc are fermented together, with a preferment maceration for around 4-6 days until Indigenous yeasts do their magic over a 10 day period. The fermenters are then closed up and the wine is left to slowly macerate with the skins for a further 10 days. The Syrah which ripens earlier is fermented separately with a shorter fermentation period to keep it bright and floral. Aged in French oak for 22 months prior to bottling to soften the tannins and allow the wine to slowly open and evolve.