The 2012 Sauvignon Blanc is a limited production wine (only about 3,000 cases) made from handpicked grapes and a touch of malo-lactic fermentation in the winemaking. On the nose it shows a pleasant green bean and grass character over green apples and lemon juice, with just a touch of green mango. Light to medium-bodied, it is crisp with a nice bit of texture through the long, clean finish. Drink it now to 2015. 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.)