New Chief Winemaker Julian Grounds was an inspired if slightly avant-garde choice after the previous sets of steady hands that had driven Craggy’s reputation for very well mannered, classical wines with no edges, with a strong following amongst those who enjoy the slightly old school luxurious vibe of the Prestige Collection. Julian is clearly mindful of the pedigree and weight of expectation attached to the Prestige range, seeking to make changes slowly rather than a lurch into the unknown, but it’s also clear from the wines that he’s brought a new energy.
Category: pinot noir
Coming up rosés
New Zealand Rosé production has grown apace, following the global trend. Currently rosé is the fastest growing wine style domestically as well as the fourth largest export category – 2020’s export volumes were 10 times that of 2010. There’s even a dedicated Rosé Day each February. Astrolabe recently released two rather beautifully labelled examples that…
You say Te Mata…
Te Mata has a long-established and rather enviable reputation in New Zealand but appear not to rest upon their laurels nor resist change. The past few years have seen the passing of the torch from long-time senior winemaker Peter Cowley to Phil Brodie – a seamless transition given Phil’s near 30-year tenure making wine at Te Mata…
Greystone : new releases
North Canterbury’s Greystone, always one of NZ’s most interesting producers, has really hit its stride with the last couple of vintages. A great deal of care in the vineyard results in pristine fruit that allows winemaker Dom Maxwell to continue to evolve the style of the wines
2017 Doctors Flat Pinot Noir
Davies makes tiny quantities of just the one wine (so tiny that when Steve once opened up the shipping container behind his house to reveal all 14 barrels, I felt almost embarrassed to be withdrawing any wine for tasting).
Huntress wines
Winemaker Jannine Rickard’s Instagram is not for the faint-hearted but does give very good insight into why her personal label has been called Huntress. This is her second release of wines under this label, a subtle, smart trio that is well-formed and food-friendly. Fruit is sourced from a number of vineyards in Gladstone and Wairarapa.
Domain Road : new releases
Established in 2002, Domain Road is a reliable, no nonsense producer making a range of intelligent wines. At a time when everyone seems to be experimenting and pushing boundaries, owners Graeme and Gillian Crosbie are content to leave the winemaking to Pete Bartle, who adds just the right amount of character.
Quartz Reef duo
Bendigo is a tricky subregion to get right, its (relative) heat and exposure can render it chunky and charmless at times but Rudi is very much amongst the safest of Bendigo hands. The alignment of his experience on his site and winemaking skill have delivered a fitting tribute to the vineyard that put the subregion on the map.
2017 Grasshopper Rock Pinot Noir
Central Otago’s Grasshopper Rock is located in Alexandra, a sub-region chosen (according to the GR website) for being the most world’s most southerly, the driest in NZ, and the one that experiences the biggest diurnal temperature shift (Alexandra has also recorded New Zealand’s hottest and coldest temperatures). Extreme to say the least. So it always…
Chard Farm 2017 Pinot Noirs
Chard Farm may be located in one of the world’s more spectacular settings for a winery but the wines themselves are resolutely unshowy. Indeed, when tasting Chard Farm’s stable of pinot noirs, it’s hard not to think about John Wallace, winemaker for the past two decades
Te Whare Ra : new releases
The Flowerdays are strong advocates for organic and biodynamic farming and have worked to convert their vineyards to full organic certification. The subtle ‘SV5182’ on their estate wines references the vineyard designation number awarded by BioGro NZ.
Jules Taylor : new releases
The latest releases from Jules Taylor shows that, as we’ve come to expect, she excels at creating ebullient, fruit laden wines that have just the right degree of complexity and structure.