2024 Prestige Collection

“Right from the very beginning of the Craggy Range adventure, this wine has been my favourite of their range. I know others disagree and look to other options (plenty of late-night discussions have failed to resolve this, so I urge you to make up your own mind), but for me, this stands up, year after year after year. That said, I'm not sure if it has ever stood taller than in the wonderful 2024 vintage. This is a brilliant wine and if it is not on your bucketlist then it should be. The name reflects the soil. The fruit comes from the stoniest areas of their Gimblett Gravels vineyard, which was planted to what they term a ‘heritage clone’, which came to New Zealand back in the 1840s. Maturation was for a year and a half in a mix of French and Austrian oak, 29% of which was new.An opaque yet vibrant purple/maroon hue with a dark magenta edge. Beautifully refined, this is all class. Imagine if you could take what's best about New World Shiraz and Old World Syrah and blend them into something even more special. The wine has exquisite balance and aromas of chocolate, mocha, leather, cloves, cassis, animal flesh, truffles, violets, licorice, bergamot and coffee beans. Well focused with great length, we see hints of bacon fat and cocoa powder emerging on the palate. Despite this cornucopia of flavours, the wine is at all times regally elegant and yet the intensity never wavers for a moment. Such length. Finishing with silky tannins, the seductive texture runs throughout, and the wine should drink magnificently over the next fifteen to twenty-five years. A stunning Syrah and time might just get it over the hump to that perfect score, although it does seem a little churlish not to award it now. Wonderful stuff.”

“Deep violet. Decadent clouds of cedar, vanilla and whipped cream surround the dense, sweet core of violet, plum and blackberry with inchoate notes of molasses and cinnamon lurking in the wings. This is on another level of concentration, exploding across the palate with waves of black fruit, olive, spice and creamy wood and hiding an impressive amount of structured, grippy tannin under the sweetness and plush velvet. Entirely primary at this stage, this can develop over the long termbut could equally be enjoyed for its exuberance in its youth due to the puppy fat.”

“Syrah from a heritage MS clone brought to New Zealand in the 1840s, planted in the stoniest reaches of the Gimblett Gravels Estate and hand-tended 13-14 times through the season. The three blocks were fermented separately - Block 10 with 25% whole bunch in French oak, Block 11 in concrete Nico Velo, Block 14 in wooden cuve - averaging 22 days on skins before 18 months' maturation in French and Austrian oak, 29% new. Red peppercorn melds with sweet cedar to start, some violet florality appears with air, along with clove, star anise and kirsch. The fruit emerges with a swirl of the glass in black and red cherry, plum and blackberry pie before savoury au jus and flickers of liquorice add to the complexity. There's some bitter tones in spent coffee grounds and dark chocolate too. With some time in the glass, this really clicks into place with the pepper and baking spices and other savoury components beautifully weaving through the fruit to create a complex, beguiling and alluring perfume. It's elegant, focused and polished in the mouth from the outset with an incredibly restrained and seamless texture. While fine, it's eminently intense, driving and firmly structured, flowing through the palate as if being drawn along by its pepper-infused grainy tannins and savoury lashings of surging acidity. The length is seemingly endless, with some attractively bitter tones in cocoa powder and dark chocolate. This is such an impactful and impressive release of complexity, elegance, intensity and length. This will age brilliantly over several decades for those who can wait.”

“A stellar release for this much-loved Hawke's Bay syrah, which has evolved gently over the years to less percussive oak, letting the fruit and site do all the talking. A deep magenta/crimson in the glass, the wine opens with a lifted bouquet of boysenberry, blueberry, damson plum and violet, intricately underscored with black pepper, clove, subtle oak tones, pan juices and vanilla pod. The palate is intensely concentrated yet graceful, showing a velvety fruit entry that rides smoothly over a bed of fine, pillowy tannins and a vibrant, focused acidity. Richly layered with baking spices, savoury dried herbs, and a hint of spicy oak, this exceptional Gimblett Gravels syrah delivers a long, commanding finish. It is a stunning, elegant release built for extensive cellar ageing. An absolute cracker!”

“Deep crimson. Beautiful pure blackberry, graphite aromas with hints of black pepper and spice. Smooth and buoyant with fresh blackberry, mulberry fruits, fine slinky tannins and underlying roasted chestnut notes. Finishes chocolaty and minerally. Superb fruit definition and flow.”

“Fabulous colour and concentration with a dark fruited, broody bouquet, layers of blackcurrant and smoky oak, clove and vanilla-pod, dried herb and purple fruits. Dry with a heavy-silk touch then quickly moving into a taut, youthful and grippy wine releasing firm tannins and a backbone of acidity then back to fruit. Violets and plums, boysenberry and blackcurrant, smoky wood and baking spices and a leesy reductive seam. Delicious and new, taut and needing time to settle and develop. Best drinking from 2029 through 2039.”

“Le Sol is 100% Syrah and represents Craggy Range Winery’s commitment to honing the best from the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing District in Hawke’s Bay. Medium ruby colour, this full-bodied Syrah is youthful now but also approachable, putting forward an aromatic display in layers with black pepper, a touch of cardamon and subtle cedar notes. This is medium body style, peppery flavours translate onto the palate.”

“Medium deep crimson. Pure black cherry, raspberry, strawberry aromas with vanilla notes. Supple and silky textured with ample black cherry pastille, raspberry, strawberry fruits, loose knit lacy textures and well-balanced vanilla, marzipan notes. Finishes with a light tannin plume. Superb fragrance, fruit definition and oak integration, while showing lovely gentle vigour and impact.”

“From the Martinborough region in New Zealand, which makes some of the world’s best Pinot Noir, the fruit here hails from the wonderful Te Muna vineyard, which is now twenty-five years of age. The name, ‘Aroha’ is Maori for love. And it is simply impossible not to love this wine. From the brilliant 2024 vintage, fermentation was with wild yeasts. The team fermented 85% whole clusters in French oak, while the component which was from clone 114 was fermented in a combination of French oak and sandstone amphorae. Maturation was for a further fourteen months. I can't remember a better example of this wine from any past vintage.A purple/blue hue, the nose offers a wonderful array of aromas, weaving through cherries, truffles, violets, wild raspberries, leaf litter and notes of freshly baked blackberry pie, just emerging from the oven. We are already seeing some early complexity and, no doubt, that will increase enormously over the coming years. The structure is seamless, the balance impeccable, and the concentration beautifully defined. A wine of focus and energy with great length through to satiny tannins on a lingering finish. Stunning stuff and for me the finest Aroha I can recall. A fifteen-year proposition.”

“Deep ruby with a hint of purple. Concentrated yet defined aromas of black raspberry, cherry and violet with an undercoat of cinnamon oak. There is a strictness here which comes from youth. The palate is densely concentrated and firmly structured but already displays a cornucopia of fruit and spice. Very long with a melting mouthfeel and great intensity,this impressive, modern expression of pinot noir is going to go the distance, richly rewarding those with the willpower to wait. Grand vin.”

“Grown on a narrow band of clay over stone in the Te Muna Vineyard, from vines now over 25 years old, this blends two clones picked five days apart — Clone 667, fermented with 85% whole clusters, and Clone 114 from Prestige Block 16, part-fermented in sandstone amphora. Both were hand-picked and wild-fermented, then aged for 14 months in French oak barriques.The perfume opens with lashings of dark berries, cherry conserve, plum, blackberry, boysenberry, stemmy spice, a touch of cacao nib and white chocolate. It's dark and brooding, but not at the expense of Pinot charm and fragrance. Some time in the glass reveals clove and forest floor, with the fruit unfurling to add vibrancy and fill out the palate. It's sapid and dense in the mouth, with a coating of flavours mirroring the nose, all wrapped in firm, chalk-dust tannins and fresh acidity. The finish holds bitter cacao-nib tones as it carries to very long length. This shapeshifts in the glass on account of its nervous youth, but once it settles, you're in for a ride. There's complexity now, but also the structure, oak influence and fruit power to age in the longer term.”

“A delicious wine with a heart of fruit purity and a sense of regionality then site. An enticing bouquet of dark berries and wild flowers, purple berries then spices of earth and oak. Complex and intriguing. A dry wine touches the palate soaking it with flavours of dark cherries and boysenberry, layers of wood smoke and spices then a silty fragrant soil quality. Taut and youthful still, concentrated and flush with red fruit flavours. There’s a light chalk-dust feel to the tannins and with a decent structure from the acidity and wood this wine has all the elements to age and develop. Well made, lengthy and in keeping with the Craggy prestige portfolio. Best from 2029 through 2036+.”

“Dense but delicate, deep ruby in colour but silky in texture, Aroha means love in te reo Māori, which is a fitting name as a lot of love and dedication has been lavished on these wines at their Te Muna Valley vineyard site, from which a portion of those considered the best are carved out to make this wine. Red fruit aromas drive the front palate forward with spicy support from a fresh backbone of fine acidity. This outstanding wine shines a light on the high quality and smaller volumes from the 2024 vintage - a great year following two toughies. This wine will age superbly, showing depth, secondary deliciousness in layers over the next six to seven years+. From tasting previously well aged vintages of Aroha, it is one of New Zealand’s greatest Pinot Noirs. Savour every sip or cellar it, confident in the knowledge it will age well.”

“All on board the Aroha this year, so fragrant, with grilled smoke and delicate floral character set against a fist bump of blue fruit and raspberry puree through the mid palate, with a salted cracker lift on the finish. Love it. 85% whole bunch fermentation, 18% new oak, 3.73ph”

“Medium deep crimson. Classical blackcurrant pastille, dark plum aromas with mocha/ vanilla notes. Beautifully balanced wine with inky smooth cassis, black cherry pastille fruits, fine grainy tannins and well-balanced mocha vanilla notes. Finishes cedar firm and long with plentiful mineral notes. A singular claret style with lovely depth, richness and vigour.”

“From the Gimblett Gravels sub-region in Hawkes Bay, Merlot (79%) is always dominant in this wine, supported by Cabernet Franc (14%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (7%). Each block of fruit used was matured separately in French oak before blending took place and the final wine then spent a further six months in oak. Another in the brilliant assembly of Craggy Range wines from the 2024 vintage, for me, the best collection they have ever released.Deep blood red with a dark crimson edge, the nose exhibits aromas of plums, tobacco leaves, chocolate, cedar, warm earth, mushrooms, coffee grinds, aniseed, leather, animal skins and blackberries. There is savouriness here, but everything is kept well in check. A wine of power and focus with great intensity and direction, there is a line of bright acidity running the full journey through to the sleek tannins on a lingering and persistent finish. Enjoy over the next twenty years.”

“Packed with dense layers of blackberry, blackcurrant, truffle, leather and smoky oak, this brooding and backward red is seriously concentrated and structured. Very submerged yet firm, structural tannins provide a framework for the intense and long flavours of black fruit, olive, cocoa and warm earth to unfold over the impressive finish. A seam of vibrant acidity runs right through the wine, carrying more vital elements of redcurrant, floral and tangy freshness to balance the power and densityon display. One for the long haul, yet it should be approachable on the earlier side, if desired, especially if oak doesn't bother you. Serious stuff.”

“Pale colour. Expressive flinty grapefruit, tonic water aromas with sea breezy notes. Well concentrated and creamy textured with fresh grapefruit, bitter lemon flavours, fine loose knit silky tannins, underlying crème brulée, vanilla notes and fresh crisp acidity. Finishes long and supple with flinty/ minerally notes. Very stylish and classic. Drink now – keep for a while.”

“Granted there is a price dip discrepancy between top Chardonnays like this and Sauvignon Blanc, but it seems so harsh to think that whenever New Zealand wine is mentioned around the globe, first thoughts always turn to Sauvignon Blanc. And yet here we have an absolutely brilliant Chardonnay, and there are others, which should surely take centre stage. The lesson? Never neglect the great Chardonnays from New Zealand. For me, I can't recall a better LBC than this one. I'm not sure why it needs a French name, but that apparently means ‘beautiful pebbles’. 2024 is simply a brilliant vintage. The best parcels in the vineyard were selected and whole bunch pressed to stainless steel before racking to French oak for fermentation with wild yeasts. Maturation was for eleven months in oak on full lees. The wine was then racked into stainless steel for a further four months. The Gimblett Gravels sub-region in Hawkes Bay may be seen as a special red district, but it can also produce some glorious Chardonnays, and this wine surely sits alongside the better Premier Cru Chardonnays from Burgundy, and a few Grand Cru as well. The big difference between those wines and this one is that they are normally two or three times, at least, more expensive.A shimmering pale lemon/gold, this is a Chardonnay of serious class. The nose reveals notes of lemon curd, citrus, a flick of grapefruit, jasmine, ginger, nectarines, peach pits and cashews. Exquisitely balanced, touches of gunflint and matchstick emerge with time in the glass. Put simply, as good an LBC as I can ever recall. Seamless in structure, with great length and a line of fine acidity, this will provide pleasure for the next ten to fifteen years. Love it.”

“Flinty with lemon pith and grapefruit aromas, this is a modern, reductive chardonnay which manages to avoid the archetype's harder edges and excesses. The fruit is creamy and round under the chalkiness, even suggesting a note of mirabelle and apricot on the finish before submerging under the phenolics and smoke. At an awkward stage presently, it will needanother couple of years to resolve and come out the other side but there is enough material and length here to justify the wait.”