Craggy Range/NZ Syrah- Help needed

Grant Dodd · Post by **Grant Dodd** » Fri Oct 31, 2003 7:57 am

Hi all,

Just trying to find some references,or links to articles/notes on the Craggy Range syrah. I seem to recall that it went particularly well in some blind tastings recently against the cream of OZ shiraz,but I can't seem to find the articles specifically. I'd appreciate any help.

Thank You

Cheers

michel · Post by **michel** » Fri Oct 31, 2003 8:24 am

Grant
I recall that Halliday did an Article in the Weekend Australian on the wines this year. Maybe try Winepros.
cheers
michel

SueNZ · Post by **SueNZ** » Fri Oct 31, 2003 4:50 pm

They've got three - Block 14 (moderate price), and Le Sol (tres expensive) under the Craggy Range label and Red Rock 'The Underarm' Syrah under the Capricorn Wines label. The latter has just won a gold medal in the Hawke Bay Show. The others would win platinum if entered, but they are not.
NZ Syrah is hot, hot, hot. Everyone will be talking about it soon.
I though the Halliday review would be on their website but I can't find it.

Cheers,
Sue

Grant Dodd · Post by **Grant Dodd** » Fri Oct 31, 2003 8:02 pm

Sue,

I found the link to the article on Winepros but it is locked,subscriber only. Given the lack of updated info on that site I'm not likely to fork out $60 for the privilege.

Cheers

David Lole · Post by **David Lole** » Fri Oct 31, 2003 8:41 pm

Grant,

Gary Walsh brought the 2001 Craggy Syrah to our Canberra Offline earlier this year (don't think it was the Le Sol) and it blew most of us away. Seriously good juice worth trying IMHO.

SueNZ · Post by **SueNZ** » Sat Nov 01, 2003 6:53 am

In the interests of you all I opened one of my two bottles of Craggy Range Block 14 2001 Syrah last night and it is worth (was worth) every penny (cent). A seriously good Syrah - inky purple crimson in colour, terrific pepper aromatics of mixed colour peppercorns and the leathery smell of pressed red grapeskins on the nose, wonderful fruit weight in the palate - plums, definitely plums with leather and spices - pepper and nutmeg and heaven knows what else - perhaps some dried rosemary, it's a little hot and zesty on the front of the tongue (14% alc), lovely tannin structure, creamy savoury oak backbone and harmonious in its flow from entry to ending. I think it is the savouriness of these wines that does it for me (I always went for the sausage rolls and the little mince pies rather than the chcocolate cakes and sticky buns as a kid). The lingering flavour has some liqueur cherries and a hint of red liquorice mingling in with those savoury notes and what stays in the mouth is persistent and long.

Have you seen the results of the Syrah class in the Tri-Nations Challenge? Four NZ Syrahs including this one!!

Cheers,
Sue

SueNZ · Post by **SueNZ** » Sat Nov 01, 2003 7:21 am

Grant,

Found some reviews in a PDF of the Craggy Range newsletter 'Deep Purple' issue 1 - on the site at
www.craggyrange.com/pdfs/DP_issue1.pdf

In this Halliday is quoted as saying
"Finally and dramatically comes "Le Sol" Syrah ....... It explodes with mouthfilling rippling flavours of blackberry, black pepper and exotic spices, and carries its high alcohol with ridiculous ease"
From 'The Australian', Feb 2003.

You could possibly find the article in the archives at your library. Does anyone pay the $60 for Winepros?

I've had Le Sol just once, but it was with a meal and I did not take notes. My food choice was not really a match for this wine.

Halliday also says of the Block 14 ....
"The Block 14 Gimblett Gravels Syrah caused me to completely revise my thinking about Syrah in Hawkes Bay. It has great colour, pungent earth, spice and liquorice aromas leap out of the glass, and the wine has excellent mouthfeel with positive but not agressive tannins. " This was also attributed to 'The Australian', Feb. 2003 - same article probably. It looks like these reviews were written after he had been here for the Craggy Range opening as there are reviews of other Craggy wines with the same reference.

Halliday came back for the Easter Show judging and was even more blown away by our Syrahs. Here's what is written on http://www.wineshow.co.nz/AucklandAP/default.html

"For James Halliday, the highlight was the new class for Syrah, which yielded three gold medals and in in strong trophy contention. "The top scoring syrah has helped to change my views on the suitability of the Gimblett Gravels area in Hawkes Bay for this variety. The Hawkes Bay style is ripe and easily carries its high alcohol level of 14.5 per cent, but also retains the wonderful spice, licorice and black pepper characters which are at the riper end of the cool climate spectrum. It is definitely different in style from Australian Shiraz, notwithstanding the latter's diversity within Australia" he said."

Cheers,
Sue

Craig(NZ) · Post by **Craig(NZ)** » Sat Nov 01, 2003 11:23 am

Yip, the craggy range is a lovely wine. Inky purple full of black fruits and pepper. yummy

not the only producers making big headway with this variety.

Cant wait to see the progress with the 02 vintage which looks like a cracker, where 01 was only average at best.

Will 02 Le Sol be the best ever syrah produced in NZ??

Has anyone tried the 02 Te Mata Bullnose??

Grant Dodd · Post by **Grant Dodd** » Sat Nov 01, 2003 2:27 pm

Thanks Sue,

I'm writing an article on the emergence of full bodied Kiwi reds as legitimate challengers to the Aussie throne,much as it pains me to do so! Still trying to find details of a taste-off that happened somewhere,maybe Brisbane,something like a Tri Nations Challenge ?? Will keep looking.

Cheers

Stewart Plant · Post by **Stewart Plant** » Sat Nov 01, 2003 5:07 pm

We had the 2001 Le Sol as a blind wine up against the three 1999 Guigal single vineyards in Brisbane in July/August. The Guigals were the La Turque, La Mouline and La Landonne, each of which scored 100 points from Parker this year and last year, and I think 97, 98 and 99 from Wine Spectator. These all retail around $600 each, give or take.

The Le Sol looks most similar in style to wines such as 2001 Giaconda 'Warner Vineyard' - powerful, savoury, earthy yet with ripe fruit but no trace of jamminess or overly ripe fruit. It is a wine worth seeking out. Should retail for around $70ish, if you can find it.

The interesting thing about the wine is not so much that it's Hawkes Bay fruit, but rather that it's off 18 month old vines. Seriously amazing for such incredibly young fruit.

And yes, I did like it!!!

SueNZ · Post by **SueNZ** » Sat Nov 01, 2003 7:21 pm

Grant Dodd wrote:Thanks Sue,

I'm writing an article on the emergence of full bodied Kiwi reds as legitimate challengers to the Aussie throne,much as it pains me to do so! Still trying to find details of a taste-off that happened somewhere,maybe Brisbane,something like a Tri Nations Challenge ?? Will keep looking.

Cheers

Grant,
The results of the Tri Nations, judged by James Halliday (Aus), Bob Campbell (NZ) and Michael Fridjhon (SA) is at http://www.boutiquewines.com.au announced last night (31/10)

The most interesting result is

Class 10. Shiraz
Top Wine – 2001 Kingsley Estate Gimblett Gravels Syrah (NZ)
Runner-up – 2001 Craggy Range Block 14 Syrah (NZ)
Top Country of Category – New Zealand

Wine of the Show – 2001 Kingsley Estate Gimblett Gravels Syrah (NZ)

There were some heavy weight Aussies in the competition too. The rise of New Zealand reds is happening. The Kingsley Estate Syrah 2001 is a lovely lovely wine. In screwcap too.

Cheers,
Sue

Grant Dodd · Post by **Grant Dodd** » Sun Nov 02, 2003 10:41 am

Stu,

How did it stack up against the Guigals? You didn't mention the comparisons.

(Hows the studying going??)

Cheers

SueNZ · Post by **SueNZ** » Mon Nov 03, 2003 8:58 pm

Grant Dodd wrote:Sue,

I found the link to the article on Winepros but it is locked,subscriber only. Given the lack of updated info on that site I'm not likely to fork out $60 for the privilege.

Cheers

I've found Halliday's 'The Australian' article. It is on the Craggy Range website at
http://www.craggyrange.com/new/cuttings/index.html

Cheers,
Sue

Grant Dodd · Post by **Grant Dodd** » Mon Nov 03, 2003 9:06 pm

Sue,

You're worth bottling !!

Thanks

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