Craggy Range Vineyards

2009 Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Vineyard Merlot

Normally $31. Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2009 was one of only 3 to be given a 5 star / top 5 rating in the Cuisine Tasting - with the top wine retailing at $70 . 4½ Stars Michael Cooper, Best Buy – 100 Must try NZ Wines – Michael Cooper and 18½ + Points, 5 Stars Raymond Chan ( senior wine judge ) who writes "A thoroughly modern, top quality, classy expression of the Right Bank Bordeaux style, this has a purple hued, ruby-red colour and a finely expressed, intense and tightly bound nose of pure black plum and dark red berry fruits. The medium-full bodied palate shows beautifully pure, succulently sweet plum and blackberry fruit flavours nuanced with elements of tobacco and cedar. The depth of fruit combined with elegant style is the feature of the wine. Very fine-grained tannin extraction underpins the fruit and provides a supple frame. The finish is rich and long. Drink this with roasted red meat dishes over the next 6-8+years. 80% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2%Malbec from the ‘Gimblett Gravels' vineyard, fermented to 13.8% alc. and matured 14 months in 35% new French oak barriques." Classy Merlot

2009 Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay

91/100 from Robert Parkers Wine Advocate which writes “Tasted as a finished tank sample, the impressive 2009 Gimblett Gravels Vineyard Chardonnay has a light apple, orange zest and citrus lemon nose with a hint of peach emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly leesy entry, good acidity and subtle honeyed tones leading to a deft, understated, slightly waxy finish. Drink now-2016.” . Also 4½ Stars Michael Cooper’s Best of 2010 Winestate Annual 2010/2011.

2011 Craggy Range Avery Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Normally $21. Richard and Linda Avery's site is located in the famous stony soils of the old Omaka River bed, in the heart of Marlborough's Wairau Valley. "Vibrant colour streaked with silver hues. This wine bursts with aromas of passionfruit, blackcurrant, flint and capsicum. On the palate, the fruit is matched by savoury complexity, characterized as oyster shell and stony mineral notes. The finish is unusually long with a brine like textural flourish."

2010 Craggy Range Kidnappers Vineyard Chardonnay

Normally $25. Made using 'the traditional techniques of Chablis', the 2010 vintage is a very gently oaked style, full of interest. Grown near the coast at Te Awanga, and fermented in a mix of tanks (mostly) and French oak barrels, it is fresh and fruit-focused, with good weight and ripe grapefruit, pear and apple flavours, slightly mealy, finely poised and lingering. It's not showy, but refined and satisfying. M Cooper "Terrific buying for a quality product from Craggy Range"

2009 Craggy Range Calvert Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir

"The 2009 Calvert Vineyard Pinot Noir sports an exuberant, almost exotic nose with plush red-berried fruits, mango and over-ripe Satsuma. The palate is medium-bodied, well balanced with fine tannins, intense red-berried fruit, citrus lemon and a hint of orange zest. There is impressive length and real vibrancy to this biodynamic gem, one of New Zealand’s most interesting projects." 91-93/100 R. Parker

2006 Craggy Range Merlot Magnum ( 1.5 ltr )

"Craggy Range's flagship Syrah demonstrates how a top producer can, through selection and good viticulture, produce a great wine from a challenging vintage. This is the most accessible Le Sol since the first vintage in 2001 but it still offers great power and depth. A silken texture envelopes plum, spice and dark berry flavours." 93/100 Bob Campbell

2007 Craggy Range Merlot Magnum ( 1.5 ltr )

Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Sophia Jeroboam ( 3 ltr )

"A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc from grapes grown in the Gimblett Gravels area of Hawkes Bay. An incredibly dense wine in both colour and flavour with impressive complexity of dark berries, exotic spice and subtle floral characters that are barely accessible in its youthful form but will certainly be revealed in time. The wine is characterised by a wonderful velvet texture and considerable length of flavour." 94/100 Bob Campbell

2005 Craggy Range Sophia Imperial ( 5 Litre )

"A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc from grapes grown in the Gimblett Gravels area of Hawkes Bay. An incredibly dense wine in both colour and flavour with impressive complexity of dark berries, exotic spice and subtle floral characters that are barely accessible in its youthful form but will certainly be revealed in time. The wine is characterised by a wonderful velvet texture and considerable length of flavour." 94/100 Bob Campbell

2007 Craggy Range Te Muna Martinborough Pinot Noir Magnum