Doing some cellar management yesterday I found another 6 pack of these wines and then dropped a bottle breaking the screwcap seal, so that was for dinner that night ... The best bottle I've had of the 2005 cuvée. Deep, dark red, only a touch of garnet at the rim. A powerful bouquet of dark plums, blackberries and cassis, warm earth, garrigue and red liquorice with spices and a dash of black pepper. Nascent red rose florals. On palate, the oak (18 months on French oak, 52% new) much better integrated with the fruit than previously. Still very rich and full. Structured and muscular. Palate coating, yet satiny mouthfeel. Blackberries, dark plums, crème de cassis and a little tar and black pepper. The alcohol (14% ABV) not out of proportion. Good length. I'd expect it to drink in this style until at least 2028. (92-93).
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My second-to-last bottle (I think), bought on release then cellared properly ever since ... Under screw cap. Deep ruby colour but some rusty garnet at the rim. Better on the second evening, after additional oxygen. A bouquet of vanillin. lactic oak, blackberry, black currant and milk chocolate. Better - more interesting - on palate. Blackberry, black currant, dark plum and some cassis notes. Some refreshing acidity. Oak not as prominent as the nose suggests, but still too dominant, compared with the fruit, for me. The tannins a little softened by time. Some refreshing acidity. The alcohol in proportion. Some development but it should drink - in this style and on this plateau - for at least the next 5+ years. A little tar and warm earth. A trace of black pepper. But - at 15 years of age - not fundamentally interesting or nuanced enough to justify itself as Craggy”s 2005 Syrah Tête de Cuvée or worthy of this extended cellaring.
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No doubt this is a New World Shiraz; very glossy profile and pimped up sweetness that's just offset by a decent amount of acidity. A bit short on the finish. Certainly drinkable, but not on my future buy list.
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Dark red right to the edges. Elegant nose, pepper, blackberry, smoked meat and thyme . Delicious peppery. meaty berry flavours and a long dry textured finish.
Close to Northern Rhone style but a little more warmth and richness in the mouth.
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The nose offers up rich white flowers, sunny summer meadow, abundant spice and a massively clean rather impressive fruit. There are also elegant violets and pine oil. The palate is also impressive with a very pleasant acidity, balance and a super texture. Tannins speak up rather eloquently, they are 'there' but in a nice way. The overall impression is certainly positive and the 50+ second length on the finish manifests this impression. A lovely wine!
Tasted in a flight with 2005 Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah, 2005 Ojai Presidio Syrah, 2005 Torbreck Descendent and 2005 Clos des Truffiers.
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(I had forgotten I'd written two reviews of this wine last year but they seem roughly consistent). On the first evening I tasted this wine I thought it was shot, completely fallen over. It was much better on the second and third evenings, which just shows it needs some air to be at its best. Under screwcap. Deep dark red colour. A mainly black fruited nose - blackberries, dark cherries, Doris plums etc - crème de cassis and some dark port. Still big, expressive fruit on bouquet and some vanillin oak. On palate, a similar black fruited profile with traces of black spices and black pepper. There is also a porty element showing evolution. It's big boned with serious structure. However, it's not monolithic, showing some detail and nuance and some acidity. Very svelte and seamless with ultra-fine grained tannins. I actually ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. However, I don't think it will improve from here - drink soon.
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I opened this because the ridiculously fat heavy bottle wouldn't fit in the drawer of my new wine fridge. Under cork. Initially decanted 30 minutes. Fine sediment and almost opaque purple color. This is the most industrial Parkerized bullshit I've tasted in a long time. Way overdone new French oak dominates the nose for hours and hours. Ultra New World stewed fruit in the middle and virtually no mineral, freshness, or secondary interest. Finish is bitter and acrid from gobs of press wine tannins. Almost certainly manipulated acidity and and probably alcohol too. But I can see how this would have been flashy and impressive at release. The Jancis review (surprisingly kind because it was less pruney than another Syrah) placed the drinking window only through 2012 because she knew what was up. She did. At least I didn't pay for it. I'd feel bad for being this harsh, but it's all marketing and manipulation with 100% cynical winemaking. Just dial it down a notch on the ripeness, new oak, and press wine, and charge less money for fewer points.
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This note consistent with my other TN for this wine (I have now just read). Under screwcap. Colour deep red, tending black. A bouquet of dark spices, dark cherry, black Doris plums, dark chocolate and Porcini mushroom with a dash of black pepper. Some development on bouquet, but mainly ripe, primary fruit aromas. In the mouth, a big, structured but sleek wine, very modern. Good dense fruit with silky, fine grained tannins. Some acids hold the palate together. Flavours are in the dark berry spectrum, particularly dark plums and blackberries, with some spice and cola. Not overblown, relatively elegant and finessed, but a little too linear. It could do with more complexity on palate. At 14%, the alcohol is a little too prominent, but not too the level of being a fault. Not as good as I remember the 2006. In its drinking window now, I don't think it will improve or develop materially from here. But no hurry to drink, on the plateau for 5+ years, I'd say.
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Dinner with Aldo Vacca: This wine was a better match for the beef. Under screwcap (but carefully disguised by Mark). Very deep impenetrable purple/red colour. A bouquet of mainly dark berries - blackberries, dark cherries and dark plums - cherry, cola and a little tar. The lavender and black pepper aromas, on nose alone, took Thierry and me straight to Syrah from the Gimblett Gravels in Hawkes Bay. On palate, a primary tasting, silky smooth, polished and very modern wine without a hair out of place. The flavours were in the blackberry, cherry cola, soy direction, but lacking a little complexity or dimension. The tannins were sweet, ultra fine grained and well integrated. The wine was similar to the 2006 and 2009 Le Sols I have had recently. The age was a surprise as any secondary development seems far off. Showing that the Old and the New Worlds can live side by side, Aldo remarked that he very much enjoyed this wine.
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More or less exactly the same as a year ago, still showing upside promise. I like the dark fruit and pepper characteristics, and the fact that it is medium bodied without over extraction or overly oaked. Good acidity. Good food wine.
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Kelvin's Wedding Lunch (Regent Hotel, Singapore): Interesting wine. Dark purplish colour, very intriguing nose, with deep scents of meat, plums and cassis along with a rubbery twang. Somewhat high-toned in its fruit expression though. Palate had more of that rubbery ring to it on the attack, but get past that and there was wood spice and incense, playing over rather rich layers of sweet cherries and high-toned blue and blackberries with plenty perfumy flowers floating around. There was a bit of savouriness on midpalate. Obviously plenty of depth here, and it had a fine balance throughout. However, both HM and I found thtat it just fell on the wrong side of unsubtleness in the way it expressed itself, with the fruit getting slightly candied past the midpalate and into the finish, where some alcohol poked out from perfumy incense notes.
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Huge Rhone style syrah with loads of tar, ink, crushed stone and dark fruit. Tight even after a 8 hout decant. Big silky tannins this one needs 5 years... Great QPR at 19.50 I rate it 93 right now, but has the stuff to be a 95+ in the future.
Dark, almost black. Medium bodied, somewhat Northern Rhone in style (or body at least). Some game and black current on the nose. Good mouthfeel and taste, in need of some years to flush out and come together. Very nice effort, should improve.
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an extremely tight and well made wine. dense purple on the pour and a nose of freshly ground white pepper. in the mouth, still fresh and vibrant with a long aftertaste. this wine will only get better with more bottle age.
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Popped and poured. Thought this was terrific. Compelling nose that mixes floral, pepper and red berries. Red fruit, plum and pepper on the palatte as well.
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Craggy Range Tasting Dinner (Pips - Las Vegas): An unusual style for syrah, unique in my experience. Lots of cracked pepper on the nose, and a very herbal stemmy quality comes on strong over the wild berry. Black currant in the mouth, with brambly tobacco and slightly green tannins, turning mineral and peppery on the finish. This seems very focused on the syrah varietal in a primal, natural kind of style. I'm mixed overall: I think this wine could likely show very differently under different conditions (e.g., a long decant?) and be potentially amazing, but it seemed on this tasting to be quite austere and a little too restrained. Call it a 90, but with a big question mark.
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7/28/2022 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 92 Points
Doing some cellar management yesterday I found another 6 pack of these wines and then dropped a bottle breaking the screwcap seal, so that was for dinner that night ... The best bottle I've had of the 2005 cuvée. Deep, dark red, only a touch of garnet at the rim. A powerful bouquet of dark plums, blackberries and cassis, warm earth, garrigue and red liquorice with spices and a dash of black pepper. Nascent red rose florals. On palate, the oak (18 months on French oak, 52% new) much better integrated with the fruit than previously. Still very rich and full. Structured and muscular. Palate coating, yet satiny mouthfeel. Blackberries, dark plums, crème de cassis and a little tar and black pepper. The alcohol (14% ABV) not out of proportion. Good length. I'd expect it to drink in this style until at least 2028. (92-93).
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1/17/2021 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 90 Points
My second-to-last bottle (I think), bought on release then cellared properly ever since ... Under screw cap. Deep ruby colour but some rusty garnet at the rim. Better on the second evening, after additional oxygen. A bouquet of vanillin. lactic oak, blackberry, black currant and milk chocolate. Better - more interesting - on palate. Blackberry, black currant, dark plum and some cassis notes. Some refreshing acidity. Oak not as prominent as the nose suggests, but still too dominant, compared with the fruit, for me. The tannins a little softened by time. Some refreshing acidity. The alcohol in proportion. Some development but it should drink - in this style and on this plateau - for at least the next 5+ years. A little tar and warm earth. A trace of black pepper. But - at 15 years of age - not fundamentally interesting or nuanced enough to justify itself as Craggy”s 2005 Syrah Tête de Cuvée or worthy of this extended cellaring.
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11/11/2020 - Phil David wrote: 89 Points
No doubt this is a New World Shiraz; very glossy profile and pimped up sweetness that's just offset by a decent amount of acidity. A bit short on the finish. Certainly drinkable, but not on my future buy list.
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10/27/2018 - David J Cooper wrote: 92 Points
Dark red right to the edges. Elegant nose, pepper, blackberry, smoked meat and thyme . Delicious peppery. meaty berry flavours and a long dry textured finish.
Close to Northern Rhone style but a little more warmth and richness in the mouth.
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5/1/2017 - David J Cooper wrote: 92 Points
Dark red. Intense nose of pepper, raspberry, plum and earth. Elegant red fruit flavors and a dry tannic finish. Delicious.
The nose is intense but the flavors and finish are so elegant and floral.
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12/3/2015 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 96 Points
The nose offers up rich white flowers, sunny summer meadow, abundant spice and a massively clean rather impressive fruit. There are also elegant violets and pine oil. The palate is also impressive with a very pleasant acidity, balance and a super texture. Tannins speak up rather eloquently, they are 'there' but in a nice way. The overall impression is certainly positive and the 50+ second length on the finish manifests this impression. A lovely wine!
Tasted in a flight with 2005 Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah, 2005 Ojai Presidio Syrah, 2005 Torbreck Descendent and 2005 Clos des Truffiers.
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4/11/2015 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 90 Points
(I had forgotten I'd written two reviews of this wine last year but they seem roughly consistent). On the first evening I tasted this wine I thought it was shot, completely fallen over. It was much better on the second and third evenings, which just shows it needs some air to be at its best. Under screwcap. Deep dark red colour. A mainly black fruited nose - blackberries, dark cherries, Doris plums etc - crème de cassis and some dark port. Still big, expressive fruit on bouquet and some vanillin oak. On palate, a similar black fruited profile with traces of black spices and black pepper. There is also a porty element showing evolution. It's big boned with serious structure. However, it's not monolithic, showing some detail and nuance and some acidity. Very svelte and seamless with ultra-fine grained tannins. I actually ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. However, I don't think it will improve from here - drink soon.
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2/4/2015 - DollarMenunaire wrote: 70 Points
I opened this because the ridiculously fat heavy bottle wouldn't fit in the drawer of my new wine fridge. Under cork. Initially decanted 30 minutes. Fine sediment and almost opaque purple color. This is the most industrial Parkerized bullshit I've tasted in a long time. Way overdone new French oak dominates the nose for hours and hours. Ultra New World stewed fruit in the middle and virtually no mineral, freshness, or secondary interest. Finish is bitter and acrid from gobs of press wine tannins. Almost certainly manipulated acidity and and probably alcohol too. But I can see how this would have been flashy and impressive at release. The Jancis review (surprisingly kind because it was less pruney than another Syrah) placed the drinking window only through 2012 because she knew what was up. She did. At least I didn't pay for it. I'd feel bad for being this harsh, but it's all marketing and manipulation with 100% cynical winemaking. Just dial it down a notch on the ripeness, new oak, and press wine, and charge less money for fewer points.
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11/9/2014 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 91 Points
This note consistent with my other TN for this wine (I have now just read). Under screwcap. Colour deep red, tending black. A bouquet of dark spices, dark cherry, black Doris plums, dark chocolate and Porcini mushroom with a dash of black pepper. Some development on bouquet, but mainly ripe, primary fruit aromas. In the mouth, a big, structured but sleek wine, very modern. Good dense fruit with silky, fine grained tannins. Some acids hold the palate together. Flavours are in the dark berry spectrum, particularly dark plums and blackberries, with some spice and cola. Not overblown, relatively elegant and finessed, but a little too linear. It could do with more complexity on palate. At 14%, the alcohol is a little too prominent, but not too the level of being a fault. Not as good as I remember the 2006. In its drinking window now, I don't think it will improve or develop materially from here. But no hurry to drink, on the plateau for 5+ years, I'd say.
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7/28/2014 - HowardNZ Likes this wine:
Dinner with Aldo Vacca: This wine was a better match for the beef. Under screwcap (but carefully disguised by Mark). Very deep impenetrable purple/red colour. A bouquet of mainly dark berries - blackberries, dark cherries and dark plums - cherry, cola and a little tar. The lavender and black pepper aromas, on nose alone, took Thierry and me straight to Syrah from the Gimblett Gravels in Hawkes Bay. On palate, a primary tasting, silky smooth, polished and very modern wine without a hair out of place. The flavours were in the blackberry, cherry cola, soy direction, but lacking a little complexity or dimension. The tannins were sweet, ultra fine grained and well integrated. The wine was similar to the 2006 and 2009 Le Sols I have had recently. The age was a surprise as any secondary development seems far off. Showing that the Old and the New Worlds can live side by side, Aldo remarked that he very much enjoyed this wine.
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3/10/2014 - Marc wrote: 92 Points
Texas Brisket for good friends - Dom Perignon, Craggy Range (Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand): Tasted after the 2002, this came across as more classic and balanced. Still very young and in need of some time, this shares the ferrel nature of the 2002 but is more slick and modern in its delivery. Really fine wine that will age to grace. Certainly outstanding. 92+
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6/7/2013 - jmoon wrote: 90 Points
Deep rich intense NZ syrah, obvious simple good but not great
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9/12/2012 - DavidDay wrote: 90 Points
Plums, game, and a little tar in the nose, massive wine, should have many years ahead of it.
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10/19/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Anacapri Double Blind Tasting Dinner (Anacapri, Coral Gables): - Fast forming legs. It's somewhat balanced with a full body. Juicy texture with a medium finish - Hue's wine. Would never have guessed it was a Kiwi Syrah.
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3/26/2011 - cadamson wrote: 91 Points
More or less exactly the same as a year ago, still showing upside promise. I like the dark fruit and pepper characteristics, and the fact that it is medium bodied without over extraction or overly oaked. Good acidity. Good food wine.
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12/12/2010 - Paul S wrote: 90 Points
Kelvin's Wedding Lunch (Regent Hotel, Singapore): Interesting wine. Dark purplish colour, very intriguing nose, with deep scents of meat, plums and cassis along with a rubbery twang. Somewhat high-toned in its fruit expression though. Palate had more of that rubbery ring to it on the attack, but get past that and there was wood spice and incense, playing over rather rich layers of sweet cherries and high-toned blue and blackberries with plenty perfumy flowers floating around. There was a bit of savouriness on midpalate. Obviously plenty of depth here, and it had a fine balance throughout. However, both HM and I found thtat it just fell on the wrong side of unsubtleness in the way it expressed itself, with the fruit getting slightly candied past the midpalate and into the finish, where some alcohol poked out from perfumy incense notes.
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11/25/2010 - tbeecher wrote:
This is not ready to drink yet. I am going to leave them until 2013 and try again.
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10/9/2010 - RWINO wrote: 93 Points
Huge Rhone style syrah with loads of tar, ink, crushed stone and dark fruit. Tight even after a 8 hout decant. Big silky tannins this one needs 5 years... Great QPR at 19.50 I rate it 93 right now, but has the stuff to be a 95+ in the future.
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3/20/2010 - cadamson wrote: 91 Points
Dark, almost black. Medium bodied, somewhat Northern Rhone in style (or body at least). Some game and black current on the nose. Good mouthfeel and taste, in need of some years to flush out and come together. Very nice effort, should improve.
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2/19/2010 - robw wrote: 94 Points
an extremely tight and well made wine. dense purple on the pour and a nose of freshly ground white pepper. in the mouth, still fresh and vibrant with a long aftertaste. this wine will only get better with more bottle age.
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7/21/2009 - jgrapski wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured. Thought this was terrific. Compelling nose that mixes floral, pepper and red berries. Red fruit, plum and pepper on the palatte as well.
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4/22/2009 - pgm wrote: 90 Points
Craggy Range Tasting Dinner (Pips - Las Vegas): An unusual style for syrah, unique in my experience. Lots of cracked pepper on the nose, and a very herbal stemmy quality comes on strong over the wild berry. Black currant in the mouth, with brambly tobacco and slightly green tannins, turning mineral and peppery on the finish. This seems very focused on the syrah varietal in a primal, natural kind of style.
I'm mixed overall: I think this wine could likely show very differently under different conditions (e.g., a long decant?) and be potentially amazing, but it seemed on this tasting to be quite austere and a little too restrained. Call it a 90, but with a big question mark.
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