Light red. Very floral, medium light red fruit, warm earth and red cherry nose. Dry floral red fruit flavours and a medium weight dry floral, herbal finish.
An elegant light Merlot.
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Brief note. Similar impressions to in my previous TN. Drinking with savoury, tobacco and preserved plums notes on its optimal plateau. Oak, acids and alcohol (13.5% ABV) well integrated. Mellow and enjoyable on a cold winter’s evening.
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Two 2010 Craggy Ranges: Under cork. Drunk over two evenings with the Le Sol, better on the second evening. Craggy Range's top Bordeaux blend. Merlot predominant with cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot. Deep ruby with a fleck of garnet at the rim. Classic merlot-driven nose of cedar, dark plums, tobacco, mahogany chest of drawers and tobacco, with some spicy, creamy oak. After time more notes of old leather, clay and dried herbs. Oak present but not overwhelming. A ripe, opulent, sweet-seeming entry. More austere and mineral - when the prominent acidity kicks in - across the mid and back palate. A dry, relatively long, stony finish. More vibrant red berry and plum flavours than the Le Sol but overall less complexity and a little more disjointed in its overall presentation. Drink over the next few years.
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Sophisticated and rich complex wine opening up over several days. Full of bright flavours including stewed plum & dark berry. A long finish leaving thinking was there really 750ml in that bottle?
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This wine will divide the audience. Technically this wine is near perfect but its not a voluptuous luscious wine and at the moment it is NOT pop and pour. In fact it was very much more enjoyable the second day.
The wine has about the colour expected for 10 years old, some onion brown around the meniscus. Its a pleasant bouquet but takes a lot of encouraging. Dark core looks impressive but really the density is medium to full bodied.
As a flavour profile out of the bottle, its a very pure but only just ripe fruited wine. There is nothing detracting from the construct which is modest but high quality oak, just ripe mix of red and dark fruits, fine tannin and fairly prominent acid. This is the dividing factor - its a food wine not to be taken lightly as a red wine drink, but rather to enjoy with meat. There is some good fruit in there but it takes a lot of encouraging to smell it and some analysis to taste it. Its rather iodine and liquorice and leather. But swirl the remains in the glass and its heavenly scented.
However it was much more approachable on the second day and for this I am awarding it 94. I liken it to a very good St Estephe but obviously without that pedigree. I think Craggy Range have nailed this vintage for an exceptionally long lived and beautiful wine that is hardly ready to drink yet, just like the St Estephes.
Wonderful stuff, so happy to have a couple more in the cellar.
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Always a classic and a killer wine! Great right from the smell off the pitch black yet barely soaked cork. Black as night, super opaque and when it thins out it is plummy purple and just starting to show some maturity in the colour towards an earthy plum purple. Powerful, killer nose bursting with blackberry, black raspberry, cassis confit, crushed blue plums, graphite, menthol, nutmeg, cedar and on and on. Very young yet complex nose! Palate in a word is lush. And plush. So ripe and rich! The fruit is the New Zealand All Blacks. Despite all that it is deftly balanced, only medium bodied and light on its feet. Absolutely lovely! Finishes dry, but not overly, and not obviously sweet either. This wine is like an orchestra of harmony and complexity. Amazing!
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JT tasting #5: dark purple in color. New world meaty nose with plums, black currant, chocolate and oaky notes.
Rich and polished fruit, black currant, cassis, some green notes and freshness, soft tannins, roasted oak. Modern style winemaking without excessive oak. 91p
BV=3 (joint winner) WV=0
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Craggy Range Tasting (United Cellars, 100 William Street, Sydney): Aromas of ripe sweet red berry fruit, very slight herbaceous/pyrazine note, touches of rhubarb and tomato leaf also perfumed cedar and oak. More of the same on the palate with alcohol heat joining, talc textured tannins leaving nothing but alcohol heat is all that is left. Nah.
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10/7/2022 - jskuek Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wet stone, mineral, savoury, bay leaf, ginseng, limestone
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11/13/2021 - levicn wrote: 92 Points
醒酒半小时,中宝石红色,闻香是成熟的肉味,皮革,橡木桶甜美奶香,草莓和李子香气,泥土气息,以及橡木桶的烘烤味,入口酸度中高,很明亮的感觉,酒液甜美风格,单宁细腻如粉,红黑混合的果香,浓郁的法桶香草味,有一点点酒精感,余味是香草奶油,果味,满口奶香,甜美悠长。香气漂亮的一款酒,非常直接,新世界风格,醒酒一小时就完全打开了,前中后段的表现完整,细节精致,口感平衡,结构比波尔多右岸名庄稍小一些,但是风格更活泼,容易亲近。
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9/1/2021 - David J Cooper wrote: 91 Points
Light red. Very floral, medium light red fruit, warm earth and red cherry nose. Dry floral red fruit flavours and a medium weight dry floral, herbal finish.
An elegant light Merlot.
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7/15/2021 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 92 Points
Brief note. Similar impressions to in my previous TN. Drinking with savoury, tobacco and preserved plums notes on its optimal plateau. Oak, acids and alcohol (13.5% ABV) well integrated. Mellow and enjoyable on a cold winter’s evening.
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5/7/2021 - F_&_M wrote: 90 Points
Great
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4/10/2021 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 91 Points
Two 2010 Craggy Ranges: Under cork. Drunk over two evenings with the Le Sol, better on the second evening. Craggy Range's top Bordeaux blend. Merlot predominant with cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot. Deep ruby with a fleck of garnet at the rim. Classic merlot-driven nose of cedar, dark plums, tobacco, mahogany chest of drawers and tobacco, with some spicy, creamy oak. After time more notes of old leather, clay and dried herbs. Oak present but not overwhelming. A ripe, opulent, sweet-seeming entry. More austere and mineral - when the prominent acidity kicks in - across the mid and back palate. A dry, relatively long, stony finish. More vibrant red berry and plum flavours than the Le Sol but overall less complexity and a little more disjointed in its overall presentation. Drink over the next few years.
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4/28/2020 - GinST Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sophisticated and rich complex wine opening up over several days. Full of bright flavours including stewed plum & dark berry. A long finish leaving thinking was there really 750ml in that bottle?
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8/31/2019 - F1NUT Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine will divide the audience. Technically this wine is near perfect but its not a voluptuous luscious wine and at the moment it is NOT pop and pour. In fact it was very much more enjoyable the second day.
The wine has about the colour expected for 10 years old, some onion brown around the meniscus. Its a pleasant bouquet but takes a lot of encouraging. Dark core looks impressive but really the density is medium to full bodied.
As a flavour profile out of the bottle, its a very pure but only just ripe fruited wine. There is nothing detracting from the construct which is modest but high quality oak, just ripe mix of red and dark fruits, fine tannin and fairly prominent acid. This is the dividing factor - its a food wine not to be taken lightly as a red wine drink, but rather to enjoy with meat. There is some good fruit in there but it takes a lot of encouraging to smell it and some analysis to taste it. Its rather iodine and liquorice and leather. But swirl the remains in the glass and its heavenly scented.
However it was much more approachable on the second day and for this I am awarding it 94. I liken it to a very good St Estephe but obviously without that pedigree. I think Craggy Range have nailed this vintage for an exceptionally long lived and beautiful wine that is hardly ready to drink yet, just like the St Estephes.
Wonderful stuff, so happy to have a couple more in the cellar.
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8/2/2019 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Always a classic and a killer wine! Great right from the smell off the pitch black yet barely soaked cork. Black as night, super opaque and when it thins out it is plummy purple and just starting to show some maturity in the colour towards an earthy plum purple. Powerful, killer nose bursting with blackberry, black raspberry, cassis confit, crushed blue plums, graphite, menthol, nutmeg, cedar and on and on. Very young yet complex nose! Palate in a word is lush. And plush. So ripe and rich! The fruit is the New Zealand All Blacks. Despite all that it is deftly balanced, only medium bodied and light on its feet. Absolutely lovely! Finishes dry, but not overly, and not obviously sweet either. This wine is like an orchestra of harmony and complexity. Amazing!
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6/8/2019 - Raizes Likes this wine: 90 Points
黑醋栗、黑莓、蓝莓,对撞丁香、雪松和巧克力的工艺香气,十分奔放的呈现方式。尽管有坚实紧致的单宁,但也有很好的酸度来进行平衡,健壮、阳刚,收拾得干净利落。虽然已经并不年轻但依旧保持活力。
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11/23/2018 - Markus IWC wrote: 90 Points
JT tasting #5: dark purple in color. New world meaty nose with plums, black currant, chocolate and oaky notes.
Rich and polished fruit, black currant, cassis, some green notes and freshness, soft tannins, roasted oak. Modern style winemaking without excessive oak. 91p
BV=3 (joint winner)
WV=0
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2/26/2017 - Edeon Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lots of black fruit, bit of red. spicy. interesting for a NZ red - unique. But nothing OMG. Bit of a walnut thing I don't like.
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3/24/2016 - Manhammer wrote:
Beautiful
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2/19/2016 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Pretty tight and structured, not sure that it has the fruit to go the distance, but maybe that will flesh out in time.
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1/1/2016 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Black fruit and very soft on the palate, but with energy. Well crafted, young, on day two.
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12/7/2015 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Went down and stayed down. That is delicious.
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6/24/2015 - chatters wrote:
Craggy Range Tasting (United Cellars, 100 William Street, Sydney): Aromas of ripe sweet red berry fruit, very slight herbaceous/pyrazine note, touches of rhubarb and tomato leaf also perfumed cedar and oak. More of the same on the palate with alcohol heat joining, talc textured tannins leaving nothing but alcohol heat is all that is left. Nah.
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11/29/2014 - ylim wrote: 87 Points
Too young for now. Should wait
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10/4/2013 - CWang wrote: 91 Points
Note lost during CellarTracker crash; overall, 91 points at this young age; should improve with more cellar time.
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10/6/2012 - startinoz wrote: 92 Points
No doubt this is a good wine, but nearly $100 is a bit steep.
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5/29/2012 - fanglangzhe Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark fruit, coffee bean, leather, spice. Too young right now.
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