"Our best yet!" - Craggy Range
Bob Campbell MW 95 Points!
Campbell Mattinson 95 Points!
Robert Parker 95 Points!
Our best yet!"Dark garnet coloured core with vivid crimson hues. Aromas of violets, cedar, darkest plum and subtle vanilla meld for a complex bouquet. The palate possesses layers of fine tannin polished by unctuous fruit character and incredible length. Our best yet."
Craggy Range Winery, June 2009
"Craggy Range has rapidly become one of New Zealand's premier wine producers. Established in 1997, it is the collaboration between businessman Terry Peabody and the winemaking expertise of quiet, retiring Steve Smith MW, who concentrates upon the Bordeaux-blend "Sophia" and the Sauvignon Blanc. Smith has employed the skills of Rob Easthope to focus upon Chardonnay and Syrah and Adrian Baker on Pinot Noir, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. The state-of-the-art winery is modeled on futuristic architecture and is over-shadowed by the peaks that give rise to their name. The philosophy is firmly directed towards small production of single vineyard sites a la Burgundy. They purchased their own vineyard in the Te Muna sub-region of Martinborough where Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are cultivated, whilst fruit from the South Island is out-sourced. Their two flagship wines of "Sophia," a Bordeaux blend and "Le Sol," which is 100% Syrah. Recent vintages of these were tasted both at the winery and appeared in blind horizontal tasting where their quality shone through."
NM, Wine Advocate Issue #176, Apr 2008
Campbell Mattinson 92 points!"Deep colour; full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with luscious but dark fruits that have soaked up both tannins and oak. Will repay extended cellaring; high-quality Cork."
The Wine Front, 2009
Bob Campbell MW 95 Points!"A flagship blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec that thoroughly justifies its exalted status. Plump, ripe plum and dark berry flavours with a suggestion of floral and spice character plus a sensitive influence of classy oak. A very serious red that's dangerously easy to drink now but will ertainly repay cellaring. This is the best winie under this label since it was first made in 2001."
Bob Campbell MW
Campbell Mattinson 95 points!"Craggy Range's Sophia is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It's grown on the Gimblett Gravels at Hawke's Bay and of course, 2007 is an acclaimed vintage.
It doesn't slap you in the face. It's an elegant, balanced, classic wine, flush with plummy, curranty, chocolatey flavour and touched by spice. As is so often the case with superior wines, it's the tannin structure that mostly sets it apart. There's not a lot of tannin here, but what tannin there is is very fine and very long, and starts well forward of the back half of the wine. I love that. Add some floral highlights and you have a smooth, complete wine."
The Wine Front, 2009
Robert Parker 95 Points!"The 2007 Sophia, a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc has a deep blackberry, cassis, plum, kirsch and violet tinged nose " in fact it is difficult to discern the Cabernet Franc! The palate is full-bodied and beautifully balanced, good acidity, firm tannins and great weight and yet there is also a sense of weightlessness that marks this out as a stunning wine with a persistent tannic finish. This will need 5-6 years ageing at least. Superb.
Craggy Range continue to press forward with their ambitious plans and are rapidly becoming one of the most familiar New Zealand producers both at an entry-level, having successfully penetrated the competitive supermarket shelves in the UK, but also winning plaudits for their array of flagship bottlings such as Le Sol, Sophia and The Quarry. I concentrated on new releases but re-tasted some of the Pinot Noirs that I felt have improved significantly."
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Issue #184 Sep 2009
Country:
New Zealand
Region:
NZ- Hawkes Bay
Variety:
Wine Red - Merlot
Size:
750mL
