The Kiwis of Craggy Range
Based on the single vineyard philosophy of wine-making, Craggy Range was the first in the Southern Hemisphere to specialise in the production of single vineyard wines from the most prestigious wine-growing regions across New Zealand including Martinborough, Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough. Hawke’s Bay has been made famous by the exceptional terroir and a soil named Gimblett Gravels, mainly composed of alluvial stones. The gravel retains the heat during the day and provides optimum ripening conditions for Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
We had the pleasure of welcoming Australian-born Julian Grounds, Chief Winemaker at Craggy Range to host a Masterclass tasting of these outstanding wines. To give some background on Julian, after stints in Margaret River, Central Otago, and Oregon, Julian took up a role as Senior Winemaker at Giant Steps in the Yarra Valley, before returning to Margaret River to join McHenry Hohnen as Chief Winemaker in early 2017. In January 2019, Julian joined Craggy Range as Chief Winemaker. He guided us through three expressive vintages of the wines below: 2011, 2013 and 2016.
Kidnappers Chardonnay
The vineyard is located at Te Awanga near Cape Kidnappers in Hawke’s Bay, named after Captain Cook’s cabin boy.
Benefiting from a strong maritime influence due to the proximity of the Pacific Ocean, the vineyard enjoys warm summers tempered by this cooling sea breeze. The result is an intense yet balanced example of Chardonnay..
Aroha
Aroha (meaning love in the Maori language) is a Pinot Noir planted from the Te Muna Road vineyard, located in Martinborough. The vines are planted on elevated terraces of stony clay and the grapes are partially destemmed before being aged in new French oak. These vintages sung…
Le Sol
Truly the most iconic wine produced by Craggy Range. Le Sol (French for the soil) is planted on the stonier part of the Gimbett Gravels area. This truly exceptional terroir really gives Craggy Range its identity – a style reminiscent to the best wines from the Northern Rhône Valley. Produced since 2001, the wines go through a rigorous process, so much so that vintages such as 2003 and 2012 haven’t been produced – proving that high quality is the main focus there. This wine has a very consistent frame and long ageing potential.
Sophia
A Bordeaux blend made from the best parcels of Merlot, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet France and located on the Gimblett Gravels in Hawkes Bay. A powerful, concentrated yet refined blend showing how stunning the terroir left behind by the Ngaruroro River is.
This really was an eye-opening Masterclass, proving that the New World certainly has its stars…