Aroha Pinot Noir 2021 is an exceptional wine crafted with care and passion from the Te Muna Road Vineyard in Martinborough, New Zealand. This Pinot Noir, with 32% whole bunch fruit, showcases a harmonious blend of flavors, including black cherries, kirsch, star anise, black tea, and hints of orange peel and jasmine. It offers a smooth, flowing texture with fine tannins, vibrant acidity, and a beautifully balanced finish. The wine is refined, with great aging potential, and expresses the unique terroir of Martinborough, embodying both power and elegance. It is a top-tier expression of New World Pinot Noir.

The Wine Advocate | RP 95
Published: Sep 21, 2023
Drink: 2023-2035

Where the 2020 Aroha Pinot Noir is obvious in its outlay of pleasure (the fruit, the tannins and the whole bunches are all distinct characteristics within the wine as a whole), the 2021 Aroha Pinot Noir is a far more svelte, flowing affair with a seamless transition between fruit, tannin and whole bunch (32%). It is characterized by black cherries, a hint of kirsch, black tea, star anise, clove and dehydrated orange peel, jasmine tea, raspberry and a hint of graphite and cocoa dust. This is a really exciting wine here, and it's a statement for New World Pinot. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

James Suckling | JS 95
Published: Mar 6, 2023

A beautiful pinot noir with sliced strawberry, raspberry and orange peel aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with a solid core of fruit, fine tannins and a fresh finish. Very savory at the end. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Decanter | D 95
Published: Nov 2, 2023
Drink: 2023-2032

Aroha (meaning ‘love’ in native New Zealand Māori language) is made from two low-yielding parcels (one planted to the Abel clone) on the slope of an elevated terrace of the Te Muna Road vineyard. Wild yeast fermented, it uses 32% whole bunch fruit and ages in barrique, 30% new, for 12 months, then bottled unfiltered. Anne Krebiehl MW: Smooth, dense fruit, tannins that crackle with peppery and briar spice, vivid crunch. Such freshness and perfect balance. Justin Knock MW: Pretty red fruits, perfumed, citrus, wild herbs, earthy hints. There’s really fine attention on the palate, crisp, pinpoint, expertly balanced. This is a very fine wine. Dirceu Vianna Junior MW: Seductive, inviting ripe forest fruits, pepper and a hint of sweet spices. Excellent fruit concentration, harmonious structure and silky in texture.

Jancis Robinson | JR 17
Published: May 12, 2023
Drink: 2024-2033

Still-youthful crimson. Lifted nose and quite savoury and burgundian. Transparent and youthful with real zest and potential. Lots of way to go. But so refreshing and intricate already. Tannins obvious. Lots of energy.

Craggyrange.com

Aroha is a romantic word in Te Reo, Maori, meaning love. Reflective of its namesake, Aroha is handcrafted with passion from unique parcels of Pinot Noir grown on the upper terrace of our Te Muna Road Vineyard in Martinborough. The pedigree of particular blocks is paramount to the quality of this wine. At over 20 years of age, the balance in our best blocks, identified by a narrow band of clay over stone, straddles that line between power and beauty. When crafting this wine, we look for the quality of tannin to be the ultimate driver, and with Aroha, the velvet line provides unmistakable length. Less extraction in the winery and longer duration in barrel are constant progressions of our thought, as this wine reflects a world style of Pinot Noir that strives to sit in the top echelons of this variety.  

Technical Specs

Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Screw Cap
Harvest/Vintage: 2021; 100% hand-harvested; average harvest Brix 23.7°
Oak: 14 months in French oak barriques, 30% new oak
Varietals: 100% Pinot Noir
Farming/Vineyard: Estate-grown fruit from Te Muna Road Vineyard, Martinborough. Low-yielding 2021 vintage following a cool, damp spring and warm summer; average production approximately 25 hl/ha
Winemaking: 32% whole-bunch fermentation and 68% destemmed fruit; indigenous yeast fermentation in open-top stainless-steel tanks and French oak cuves; lightly fined and bottled in May 2022
Winemaker/Producer: Craggy Range
Region/Appellation: Te Muna Road, Martinborough, Wairarapa, New Zealand
Classification: Martinborough GI

Serving Temperature: 14–16°C
Decanting: 30–45 minutes; gentle decanting recommended
Food Pairing: Roast duck, lamb, venison, mushroom risotto, pork tenderloin, grilled quail and earthy mushroom dishes.