05 Craggy Range Sophia
05 Craggy Range Sophia
Heads Up - The 05 Sophia has to be one of the very best New Zealand reds ever made and the price last night at First Glass in Auckland was only NZ45. It was a tasting of the Cuisine magazine top 10 NZ reds ... the best line up of NZ Bdx reds, I have ever seen. The 2005 vintage is living up to all the hype and is proving to be something quite special - wines with power, class and elegance.
Yeah tried it a few weeks ago. Im going to GG on Sat to try the cusine top 10. they do it free of charge 
I actually think i prefered the 04, but ive only tried the 05 once, so will delay setting my opinion in concrete for a bit.
Ditto the Block 14 Syrah, prefer the 04 to the 05, and ditto unison selection
04 seemed to get more 'serious' notes into the wines for many producers. 05 slightly more red fruited and lighter weight
However 2005 is a excellent vintage, even though on paper it was unremarkable. Bruce at Unison laughs at suggestions 2005 was a great vintage as it was quite wet. Peter Cowley too remarked that it was just an average vintage from which they produced great wines. 05 Coleraine is magnificent.
It was a brilliant vintage for red in Auckland/Waiheke as we see with Passage Rocks Syrahs, Puriri Hills and Steven White form Stonyridge (and nearly every other waiheke winemaker ive seen comment from) rates 2005 as the best ever vintage on waiheke
I actually think i prefered the 04, but ive only tried the 05 once, so will delay setting my opinion in concrete for a bit.
Ditto the Block 14 Syrah, prefer the 04 to the 05, and ditto unison selection
04 seemed to get more 'serious' notes into the wines for many producers. 05 slightly more red fruited and lighter weight
However 2005 is a excellent vintage, even though on paper it was unremarkable. Bruce at Unison laughs at suggestions 2005 was a great vintage as it was quite wet. Peter Cowley too remarked that it was just an average vintage from which they produced great wines. 05 Coleraine is magnificent.
It was a brilliant vintage for red in Auckland/Waiheke as we see with Passage Rocks Syrahs, Puriri Hills and Steven White form Stonyridge (and nearly every other waiheke winemaker ive seen comment from) rates 2005 as the best ever vintage on waiheke
Follow me on Vivino for tasting notes Craig Thomson
05 Craggy Range Sophia
Hey Craig,
I had tried the 05 Sophia before too ... appx a month ago when it was released and was impressed but last night it was much much better - showing more weight and complexity. Be interesting to see what you think this weekend. For me, this was "more serious" than the 04. Funnily enough I was not particularly impressed with the 05 Coleraine at the release tasting .. less weight and character than the 04 at the same stage. From what we tasted last night, I think the 05s are tighter, more classic Bdx style wines that will ultimatly outshine the 04s.
I had tried the 05 Sophia before too ... appx a month ago when it was released and was impressed but last night it was much much better - showing more weight and complexity. Be interesting to see what you think this weekend. For me, this was "more serious" than the 04. Funnily enough I was not particularly impressed with the 05 Coleraine at the release tasting .. less weight and character than the 04 at the same stage. From what we tasted last night, I think the 05s are tighter, more classic Bdx style wines that will ultimatly outshine the 04s.
Funnily enough I was not particularly impressed with the 05 Coleraine at the release tasting
yeah ditto, but it has got a heap better since release packing on weight and texture. Looks like sophia may have done the same thing from your comments!
The 04 craggy's were more heavily oaked and as such "impressive" but not "seductive"
I really think the 04 block 14 syrah is better than the 05 though. the 05 was a bit jammy and spirity
Follow me on Vivino for tasting notes Craig Thomson
Hi Curt,
I agree with you about the Sophia. I've loved it all 3 times I've tasted it. Stunning stuff.
What was your No. 2 wine last night? Mine was the Craggy GG Merlot 2005 - the widely available one, not the Te Kahu.
I thought all the wines were easily 5 star quality, but would rate them in a different order to Cuisine.
I guess 2005 could be a little like 1995 - under-rated at first but brilliant in the long term.
Cheers,
Sue
I agree with you about the Sophia. I've loved it all 3 times I've tasted it. Stunning stuff.
What was your No. 2 wine last night? Mine was the Craggy GG Merlot 2005 - the widely available one, not the Te Kahu.
I thought all the wines were easily 5 star quality, but would rate them in a different order to Cuisine.
I guess 2005 could be a little like 1995 - under-rated at first but brilliant in the long term.
Cheers,
Sue
Hi Sue,
Like you, I thought all the wines were easily worthy of 5 stars ... VFM aside, my #2 was The Quarry. In fact I really liked all the Craggy wines. I rated the Te Kahu just above the GG ( #4 & #5 ), more because of the mouth feel / body but both are great VFM. My #3 was the Mills Reef Cab / Merlot, like the 2 CR prestige wines, it had great balance as well as x-factor / complexity & excellent cellar potential.
Cheers
Like you, I thought all the wines were easily worthy of 5 stars ... VFM aside, my #2 was The Quarry. In fact I really liked all the Craggy wines. I rated the Te Kahu just above the GG ( #4 & #5 ), more because of the mouth feel / body but both are great VFM. My #3 was the Mills Reef Cab / Merlot, like the 2 CR prestige wines, it had great balance as well as x-factor / complexity & excellent cellar potential.
Cheers
Curt,
Tried two of the wines again from the leftovers on the tasting table when I was in at First Glass this afternoon. The Craggy Range Merlot was even more gorgeous and creamy with wonderful fruit and beautiful tannins - just delicious drinking. The Sophia had taken on a really savoury character with a touch of salty rosemary on the finish. Very interesting.
Cheers,
Sue
Tried two of the wines again from the leftovers on the tasting table when I was in at First Glass this afternoon. The Craggy Range Merlot was even more gorgeous and creamy with wonderful fruit and beautiful tannins - just delicious drinking. The Sophia had taken on a really savoury character with a touch of salty rosemary on the finish. Very interesting.
Cheers,
Sue
Tried the Craggy's again this morning.
The 05 Sophia has definitely settled and become more serious since the first time I tried it. It seems quite integrated already with good levels of ripeness. its a very good wine which would perform way better away from iso glasses! Good structure with very fine tannins
With the Quarry 05 I had basically the same reflections on this wine as I had with the 04. It is impressive but it fails to seduce me. The tannins are quite dominant, grippy and heading towards chunky - lacks the refinement I look for in a wine of that price point. It is a very good wine but when im dishing out that sort of money it really has to grab me and wow me which it didnt at this stage. No doubt it will improve and cellar extremely well, but it hasnt opened my wallet. To me id rather drink 05 coleraine, and better value to be had in a couple of bottles of Wynns Black Label.
The Craggy GG Merlot is good value at $25ish. As Sue says a gorgeous creamy texture and i noted a few savoury notes starting to poke through. Not really a Saturday morning wine (as with the 2 above) but its got the goods. Ive drunk this a couple of times in a social setting and it really hums.
The 05 Sophia has definitely settled and become more serious since the first time I tried it. It seems quite integrated already with good levels of ripeness. its a very good wine which would perform way better away from iso glasses! Good structure with very fine tannins
With the Quarry 05 I had basically the same reflections on this wine as I had with the 04. It is impressive but it fails to seduce me. The tannins are quite dominant, grippy and heading towards chunky - lacks the refinement I look for in a wine of that price point. It is a very good wine but when im dishing out that sort of money it really has to grab me and wow me which it didnt at this stage. No doubt it will improve and cellar extremely well, but it hasnt opened my wallet. To me id rather drink 05 coleraine, and better value to be had in a couple of bottles of Wynns Black Label.
The Craggy GG Merlot is good value at $25ish. As Sue says a gorgeous creamy texture and i noted a few savoury notes starting to poke through. Not really a Saturday morning wine (as with the 2 above) but its got the goods. Ive drunk this a couple of times in a social setting and it really hums.
Follow me on Vivino for tasting notes Craig Thomson
Gary
Agree with you re the oak. I cant face their chardonnays as they are just way too oaky (ive seen a little evidence they are getting better slowly). And yes the 04 reds were pretty oaky too (having said that i kinda liked them - its good quality oak!!). However as CR CD themselves say 'its hard for new wineries to get seasoned oak'!! Takes a few years to build up stocks
The 2005's are definitely less oak driven than the 2004's. Will be interesting to see where the 04s go with some age as there was plenty of fruit as well.
Overall, oak niggles aside its hard to put a case forward that Craggy Range isnt one of Hawkes Bays top wineries overall. They successfully play in many varieties and compete pretty well. They are pretty enjoyable and solid wines. Most of them have character and wow factor. Its a great place to visit in the summer too. Excellent restaurant and good cellar door.
Agree with you re the oak. I cant face their chardonnays as they are just way too oaky (ive seen a little evidence they are getting better slowly). And yes the 04 reds were pretty oaky too (having said that i kinda liked them - its good quality oak!!). However as CR CD themselves say 'its hard for new wineries to get seasoned oak'!! Takes a few years to build up stocks
The 2005's are definitely less oak driven than the 2004's. Will be interesting to see where the 04s go with some age as there was plenty of fruit as well.
Overall, oak niggles aside its hard to put a case forward that Craggy Range isnt one of Hawkes Bays top wineries overall. They successfully play in many varieties and compete pretty well. They are pretty enjoyable and solid wines. Most of them have character and wow factor. Its a great place to visit in the summer too. Excellent restaurant and good cellar door.
Follow me on Vivino for tasting notes Craig Thomson
Craig(NZ) wrote:With the Quarry 05 I had basically the same reflections on this wine as I had with the 04. It is impressive but it fails to seduce me. The tannins are quite dominant, grippy and heading towards chunky - lacks the refinement I look for in a wine of that price point. It is a very good wine but when im dishing out that sort of money it really has to grab me and wow me which it didnt at this stage. No doubt it will improve and cellar extremely well, but it hasnt opened my wallet. To me id rather drink 05 coleraine ....
Craig, Thank you. You've put it words what I felt about the Quarry. It just failed to seduce me. Coleraine wins - it's hardly a contest.
Craig(NZ) wrote:The Craggy GG Merlot is good value at $25ish. As Sue says a gorgeous creamy texture and i noted a few savoury notes starting to poke through. Not really a Saturday morning wine (as with the 2 above) but its got the goods. Ive drunk this a couple of times in a social setting and it really hums.
I do think this is great stuff. Geoff Kelly said that last year's version of this wine was near perfect but I could never get past the powerful tannins of the 2004. I love the 2005 for its sheer drinkability as well as eveything else that is going on.
Cheers,
Sue