Craggy Range occupies a stunning location, nestled at the base of Te Mata peak in New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay. No expense has been spared in creating not just a winery and tasting room but also a restaurant and accommodation in the form of vineyard villas and a lodge.
The Whites
Sauvignon Blanc. Family Collection. Te Muna Road. Martinborough 2017.
98% vinified in stainless steel with 2% vinified in barrel, with a view to smooth out the acidity. Gooseberry, limes and a touch of stone fruit. Palate is full on, zingy, fresh and dry. A Sauvignon that offers a little more than most.
Riesling. Te Muna Road. Martinborough. 2017
The demand for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is enormous and this can make it difficult for growers to experiment with different varieties. It took 3 years from 2014 to sell 1000 cases of Craggy Range Riesling. In the same period 250,000 cases of Sauvignon Blanc were sold! Go and search out these wines they are well worth the effort. This Riesling has richness, lemon citrus and is slightly off dry. It has a lovely balance.
Pinot Gris. Te Muna Road. Martinborough. 2017
Tropical fruit, lime and a hint of floral perfume. Nice weight and balance with a dry finish. A good example of the more aromatic style of wine that this grape can produce.
Chardonnay. Kidnappers Vineyard. Hawkes Bay. 2016
Lemon yellow with a delightful nose which invites the drinker to have a glass. A much lighter style of chardonnay which is medium bodied and with great balance. The restrained use of oak adds an interesting dimension to a very nice wine.
The Reds
Pinot Noir. Te Muna Road. Martinborough 2015
Cherry and raspberry fruit, palate is light but with red fruits and a lovely savoury backbone. A very nice example of Pinot Noir.
Aroha. Pinot Noir. Te Muna Road. Martinborough. 2015
Pinot Noir is a most difficult grape to grow and the prices for quality Pinot it, especially in Burgundy, have become stratospheric. The challenge for wine drinkers is to now explore other regions of the world that can make quality Pinot without the such high prices. Having said that quality doesn’t necessarily mean cheap. You pay for what you get, you just don’t have to pay too much. This wine is deep in colour with aromas of cherry and raspberry. The palate is complex with cherry, redcurrant and raspberry fruit flavours, its is savoury, slight cherry menthol, touch of vanilla. Soft, silky and with a great finish. A wine of real class.
Syrah. Gimblett Gravels. Hawkes Bay. 2011
This has a lovely nose of red and black fruits, plums and cola. The palate has depth with herbs and a nice savoury/peppery touch on the finish
Syrah. Le Sol. Gimblett Gravels. Hawkes Bay 2015
Wine is opaque with great depth of colour. Ripe red fruits and black pepper, a complex wine that has real depth and power. Tannins need to soften but this will be a great wine given time.
Merlot. Te Kahu. Hawkes Bay. 2015
76% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec
Merlot can sometimes have a bad name probably due to the over jammy examples that can be offered in some bars and pubs. Then there is the sideways effect to consider. Neither off these should put you off investigating the wines. This wine is a good example of what it can be, red fruits with blackcurrants, plums and cola. the palate has depth and softness with a savoury touch of pepper on the finish.
Sophia. Gimblett Gravels. Hawkes Bay. 2015
75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc
Full and complex with a lovely soft and enticing character. There are flavours of black plums, vanilla and leather. The finish is dry with hit of red fruit. a wine of great class that can only get better.
Visit the Craggy range website here