ATA RANGI Potiki Chardonnay 2022

Robert Parker Score: 93 points

Reviewer: Erin Larkin — December 2023 Week 214 Dec 2023

Drink 2023–2033

The 2022 Pōtiki Chardonnay is a collation of younger vine material from around the Ata Rangi vineyards. "As a season, 2022 was tricky. It had less diurnal shifts and more rain than 2021," says Winemaker Helen Masters. The wine, however, feels a triumph in this glass. It's spicy, layered and restrained, with creamed nuts, white peach, stewed apples and shaved fennel, mandarin oil and a sprinkling of custard powder. It is pure, in its way. It went through a fully wild ferment, unsulfured until racking/bottling and full malolactic fermentation. There's a purity to the flow of flavor here. It's lovely. Helen and I discussed Chardonnay and style, and it was a fascinating conversation. This is a person who understands the importance of place, identity and expression. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.