Craggy tasting at Rocco
Aroha 2008 Pinot Noir
Very tight on the nose violets
Light inbody but good structure, good acid, bright fruit, smooth tannin long finish
Classic martinborough vintage
Rrp $95 92 points Aroha 2007
Bright red fruit, raspberry, ripe fruit, lime character
Poised on the palate, slightly hollow mid palate, fruit driven
Bad vintage not big crop
Rrp $85 90 points Aroha 2006
Cinnamon, nutty, earth, on the nose
Big up front fruit, bright mixed red and black with slight savoury aspect on the palate
Tricky vintage with rain
Rrp $75 88 points Sophia 2008
Deep dark rich velvety fruit, blackberry, nutmeg, white flower and cream on the nose
Smooth tannin, dry, bramble, hint of oak and savoury at the end.
Rrp $60 92 points Sophia 2006
Spicy nose, red fruit dominant, cedar, matchbox,
Delicate red fruit, with raspberry and cranberry mixed with oak and fine tannin
Rrp $60 90 points Sophia 2004
Tar, almost Australian on the nose, big fruit and very forward
Young, fruit full of oak and course tannin very grippy butgood acid
Rrp $60 88 points Le Sol 2008
bright purple clean looking cedar, floral aromatics, gorse beautifully elegant and feminine, sweet fruit spicy apple and clove/cinnamon on nose
Great poise and fruit complexity on the palate good length and acid
Rrp $95 94 points Le Sol 2006
Bright violet aromatics, cedar, white pepper,
Sweet plum fruit wrapped in cherry and cedar oak splashed with pepper
Great texture and balance
Rrp $90 90 points The next tasting was in an air conditioned room at 18 Degrees in Fiji. Les beaux Cailloux 2008 Chardonnay
Gimblett Gravels
14.7% alc 45% new oak
Light golden colour, Rosemary, lemon merangue, and sherbet with dash of cream on the nose
Light bodied riverstone with citrus acid keeping it very taught in structure, zesty balanced wine with good length, touch of heat at the end.
Rrp $65 89 points Aroha 2008 Pinot Noir
Martinborough
13.9% alc 37% new oak
Bright strawberry and cherry hint of clove and herb rich blackberry and spice mixed with mocca and velvety tannin with extraordinary length that's blanaced with charm and warmth. Seductive in nature
Rrp $95 92 points Sophia 2008Gimblett Gravels
89% merlot 8% Cabernet Sauvignon 2% Malbec 1% Cabernet Franc
14.4% alc 52% new oak
Plum overtones with vibrant earthy sandlewood and cedar topped with blackberry compot embraces the nose.
Luscious rich velvety blackberry and plum mixed with chocolate nuances and coca tannin fall all over the palate.
A wine that will reach maturity in another 6+ years.
Rrp $60 90 points Noble Riesling Fletcher family vineyard 2008 11% alc
Marlborough
Beutifully layered honey nose with melon and lime.
Honeydew melon, honeycomb wax, lime coated acidity with oil coating on the mouth, not overly cloying buy retains great fruit sweetness balanced by generous acid.
Rrp $35 91 points Vertical of Le Sol Syrah on the beach 2008
Lifted violets, liquorice mixed with blueberry and tar on the nose.
Bright red fruit, strawberries and cloves, slightly grippy velvet like tannins made this youthful wine enjoyable now but has superb potential.
94 points 2007
The vintage was deemed a classic with perfect fruit ripening conditions favourable for making great wine in Hawe's Bay.
More aromatics than the 08 with violets and floral notes dancing in harmony with the blackberry and bramble characters on the nose.
The palate weight and structure were delightful with generous blackfruit and quince paste and fine chalky tannin.
92 points 2006
The 2006 was a tricky year for hawke's Bay wines, but never the less this wine was classic New Zealand Syrah. The layered blue and black fruit nose had ample appeal.
The palate showed some signs that the wine was aging as graceful as Lauren becall.
Bright violet aromatics, cedar, white pepper,
Sweet plum fruit wrapped in cherry and cedar oak splashed with pepper
Great texture and balance.
92 points 2005
A classic vintage displaying classic New Zealand syrah characters. Very delicate finely ground white pepper, with sandlewood and cedar the backdrop to generous blackcurrant and blackberry fruit, with a hint of raspberry.
The palate displayed seductive primary fruit followed by some earthy and mineral stony characters.
93 points 2004
Classic deep, dark, rich fruit with tar overtones and almost a rich mocca making an appearance on the nose.
The palate weight was sublime maybe a bit too rich to drink by itself and later match a lamb dish sublimely. The tar and chocolate dark black fruit coat the palate but the use of oak is restrained and the wine is very balanced.
90 points 2002
This was only the second vintage of Le Sol and despite young vine age this wine has matured very well. There were some signs of tiredness but in context this may have been the heat. Also a contributing factor may have been the alcohol, at 15.4% showing up with the heat. The wine was very well balanced and left no feeling of high alcohol. The palate weight was good and very much alive.
89 Points 2001
The inaugural vintage of this classic wine. This wine gave a very strong indication that 'Le Sol' is meant to age and is very serious. Although the grapes were off very young vines, there was still plenty of fruit evident and the wine was complete. This wine suffered most from the heat but gave a clear indication of the direction in which Craggy Range is headed with Syrah.
88 Points Wine tasting in humid environments are challenging , but this was overcome by using a Kava bowl and some ice just to chill the bottom of the bottles and not submerge them. Although the temperature was high all wines showed very well and the heat played a minor part in the scoring of these wines.
It became very obvious that Syrah and Bordeaux blended wines are extremely well suited to be grown on the Gimblett Gravels, Hawke's Bay.
Aroha 2008 Pinot Noir
Very tight on the nose violets
Light inbody but good structure, good acid, bright fruit, smooth tannin long finish
Classic martinborough vintage
Rrp $95 92 points Aroha 2007
Bright red fruit, raspberry, ripe fruit, lime character
Poised on the palate, slightly hollow mid palate, fruit driven
Bad vintage not big crop
Rrp $85 90 points Aroha 2006
Cinnamon, nutty, earth, on the nose
Big up front fruit, bright mixed red and black with slight savoury aspect on the palate
Tricky vintage with rain
Rrp $75 88 points Sophia 2008
Deep dark rich velvety fruit, blackberry, nutmeg, white flower and cream on the nose
Smooth tannin, dry, bramble, hint of oak and savoury at the end.
Rrp $60 92 points Sophia 2006
Spicy nose, red fruit dominant, cedar, matchbox,
Delicate red fruit, with raspberry and cranberry mixed with oak and fine tannin
Rrp $60 90 points Sophia 2004
Tar, almost Australian on the nose, big fruit and very forward
Young, fruit full of oak and course tannin very grippy butgood acid
Rrp $60 88 points Le Sol 2008
bright purple clean looking cedar, floral aromatics, gorse beautifully elegant and feminine, sweet fruit spicy apple and clove/cinnamon on nose
Great poise and fruit complexity on the palate good length and acid
Rrp $95 94 points Le Sol 2006
Bright violet aromatics, cedar, white pepper,
Sweet plum fruit wrapped in cherry and cedar oak splashed with pepper
Great texture and balance
Rrp $90 90 points The next tasting was in an air conditioned room at 18 Degrees in Fiji. Les beaux Cailloux 2008 Chardonnay
Gimblett Gravels
14.7% alc 45% new oak
Light golden colour, Rosemary, lemon merangue, and sherbet with dash of cream on the nose
Light bodied riverstone with citrus acid keeping it very taught in structure, zesty balanced wine with good length, touch of heat at the end.
Rrp $65 89 points Aroha 2008 Pinot Noir
Martinborough
13.9% alc 37% new oak
Bright strawberry and cherry hint of clove and herb rich blackberry and spice mixed with mocca and velvety tannin with extraordinary length that's blanaced with charm and warmth. Seductive in nature
Rrp $95 92 points Sophia 2008Gimblett Gravels
89% merlot 8% Cabernet Sauvignon 2% Malbec 1% Cabernet Franc
14.4% alc 52% new oak
Plum overtones with vibrant earthy sandlewood and cedar topped with blackberry compot embraces the nose.
Luscious rich velvety blackberry and plum mixed with chocolate nuances and coca tannin fall all over the palate.
A wine that will reach maturity in another 6+ years.
Rrp $60 90 points Noble Riesling Fletcher family vineyard 2008 11% alc
Marlborough
Beutifully layered honey nose with melon and lime.
Honeydew melon, honeycomb wax, lime coated acidity with oil coating on the mouth, not overly cloying buy retains great fruit sweetness balanced by generous acid.
Rrp $35 91 points Vertical of Le Sol Syrah on the beach 2008
Lifted violets, liquorice mixed with blueberry and tar on the nose.
Bright red fruit, strawberries and cloves, slightly grippy velvet like tannins made this youthful wine enjoyable now but has superb potential.
94 points 2007
The vintage was deemed a classic with perfect fruit ripening conditions favourable for making great wine in Hawe's Bay.
More aromatics than the 08 with violets and floral notes dancing in harmony with the blackberry and bramble characters on the nose.
The palate weight and structure were delightful with generous blackfruit and quince paste and fine chalky tannin.
92 points 2006
The 2006 was a tricky year for hawke's Bay wines, but never the less this wine was classic New Zealand Syrah. The layered blue and black fruit nose had ample appeal.
The palate showed some signs that the wine was aging as graceful as Lauren becall.
Bright violet aromatics, cedar, white pepper,
Sweet plum fruit wrapped in cherry and cedar oak splashed with pepper
Great texture and balance.
92 points 2005
A classic vintage displaying classic New Zealand syrah characters. Very delicate finely ground white pepper, with sandlewood and cedar the backdrop to generous blackcurrant and blackberry fruit, with a hint of raspberry.
The palate displayed seductive primary fruit followed by some earthy and mineral stony characters.
93 points 2004
Classic deep, dark, rich fruit with tar overtones and almost a rich mocca making an appearance on the nose.
The palate weight was sublime maybe a bit too rich to drink by itself and later match a lamb dish sublimely. The tar and chocolate dark black fruit coat the palate but the use of oak is restrained and the wine is very balanced.
90 points 2002
This was only the second vintage of Le Sol and despite young vine age this wine has matured very well. There were some signs of tiredness but in context this may have been the heat. Also a contributing factor may have been the alcohol, at 15.4% showing up with the heat. The wine was very well balanced and left no feeling of high alcohol. The palate weight was good and very much alive.
89 Points 2001
The inaugural vintage of this classic wine. This wine gave a very strong indication that 'Le Sol' is meant to age and is very serious. Although the grapes were off very young vines, there was still plenty of fruit evident and the wine was complete. This wine suffered most from the heat but gave a clear indication of the direction in which Craggy Range is headed with Syrah.
88 Points Wine tasting in humid environments are challenging , but this was overcome by using a Kava bowl and some ice just to chill the bottom of the bottles and not submerge them. Although the temperature was high all wines showed very well and the heat played a minor part in the scoring of these wines.
It became very obvious that Syrah and Bordeaux blended wines are extremely well suited to be grown on the Gimblett Gravels, Hawke's Bay.
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