Only 19 hectares of Chenin Blanc are planted across New Zealand, and Martinborough has long been a quiet champion of the variety. Ata Rangi’s inaugural release from the 2024 vintage is a celebration of place, purity, and patience—sourced from the Redbank Vineyard on Te Muna Road and a tiny parcel from Walnut Ridge.

Crafted with minimal intervention and aged in older large-format oak barrels, this dry-style Chenin Blanc reveals the variety’s expressive character through a Martinborough lens.

Fragrant and lifted, the nose opens with fresh-cut pink grapefruit, yellow apple, and a whisper of fennel seed and white cardamom. A playful note of lemon sherbet adds brightness. On the palate, it’s all about texture and tension: lemonade and rockmelon glide into toasted almond and a subtle hint of beeswax. The finish is long, salivating, and finely balanced, with phenolic grip and lingering charm.