Pōtiki means last born in Māori, and the name fits a Chardonnay made from the younger end of Ata Rangi's plantings. The fruit is a selection from newer vines and some of the more established blocks on the Martinborough Terrace, where shallow silt sits over deep alluvial gravels. Clive Paton founded Ata Rangi in 1980, and Helen Masters has been its winemaker since 2003.
Grapes are hand picked and whole bunch pressed. The juice is not settled clear, and goes straight into Burgundy style 300 litre puncheons, a share of them new, where it ferments with indigenous yeast. A partial malolactic follows, and the wine rests on its lees in barrel for about eleven months. That adds richness without hiding the acidity.
The style is fresh but layered. Yellow nectarine, bergamot and baked apple run alongside savoury notes of miso and sesame, and a crushed shell mineral line. It suits pan fried snapper with brown butter, roast chicken with tarragon, or a creamy mushroom pasta. Pour it chilled but not icy so the savoury side comes through.