2019 Craggy Range Te Kahu

2019 Craggy Range Te Kahu

2019 Craggy Range Te Kahu  Bordeaux Red Blends Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay New Zealand

Deepest crimson red. Brooding aromatically with notes of cassis, black olive, dried tobacco and the faintest hint of roasted hazelnut.The palate is alive with rich, ripe red to black fruit, with a midpalate that speaks volumes to the warm and long ripening period. A perfect example of medium-bodied Bordeaux style blends from the Gimblett Gravels.Blend: 54% Merlot, 27 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec, 7% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot

94 points James Suckling:This has a very rich plum nose with mulberry and well-integrated, spicy French-oak character. The palate has such well-judged balance and even shape. Super fresh and vibrant red plums and mulberries abound. The tannins are so smooth and layered. A thoroughly respectable Kiwi claret!

92 points Wine Spectator: Sophisticated, with touches of black walnut liqueur, kirsch and spicy tobacco. Cardamom, blueberry and cedar notes linger, with dense, toothsome tannins. Fragrant and balanced on the finish. (MW)  (10/2020)

An eclectic region on the east coast of the North Island, Hawkes Bay extends from wide, fertile, coastal plains, inland, to the coast range, whose peaks reach as high as 5,300 feet. While the flatter areas were historically more popular because they are easier to cultivate, their alluvial soils can be too fertile for vines. In the late 20th century, the drive for quality led growers to the hills where soils are free-draining, limestone-rich and more suited to producing high quality wines.

Today the area takes well-earned recognition for its Bordeaux blends and other reds. Expressive of intense stewed red and black berry with gentle herbaceous characters, Gimblett Gravels wines are suggestive of their cool climate origin, and on par with other top-notch Bordeaux blends around the globe.