Learn more about Craggy Range wines at Nantucket Wine & Food Festival 2022!
Craggy Range
Craggy Range is a family-owned winery that serves as a benchmark ambassador for high quality New Zealand wines. Founded in 1997, the winery is owned by Terry and Mary Peabody with a 1,000-year legacy for the brand to continue within the family.
Craggy Range crafts exclusively single-vineyard, terroir-driven wines and receives consistently outstanding (90+) scores, exceeding competitors in all categories, vintage after vintage. Craggy Range consists of two estate properties, Te Muna Road Vineyard and Gimblett Gravels Vineyard, and the fruit is grown in key winegrowing properties in Hawke’s Bay and Martinborough. Each vineyard has a separate soil structure, distinctive climate, and unique topography, allowing Craggy Range to produce a diverse portfolio of wines.
Craggy Range Te Muna Sauvignon Blanc 2020
Grape Variety:
Sauvignon Blanc
Tasting note:
On the nose there are ripe notes of white stone fruit, passion fruit pulp, and kaffir lime. The palate is lively with deep concentration and a salinic acidity.
Perfect pairing:
Oysters, ceviche, and Thai food dishes
Good to know:
The 2020 vintage is expected to be one of the greatest vintages of all time in New Zealand
Craggy Range Te Muna Road Pinot Noir 2017
Grape Variety:
Pinot Noir
Tasting note:
A joyful wine full of charm. Complex aromas of dark rose, plum, cherry, tree bark, and spices. Supple palate entry with attractive varietal red fruits and lovely tension from the fine tannin profile.
Perfect pairing:
All types of lamb, venison, and full-flavored poultry dishes, particularly whole duck and duck breast preparations
Good to know:
The higher-elevation Te Muna Road Vineyard is harvested about a week later than nearby sites, giving the grapes freshness and acidity.
Craggy Range Te Kahu Gimblett Gravels Vineyard 2019
Grape Varieties:
54% Merlot, 27 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec, 7% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Tasting note:
Brooding notes of cassis, black olive, dried tobacco, and the faintest hint of roasted hazelnut. The palate is alive with rich, ripe red and black fruit.
Perfect pairing:
Terrific with red meat dishes
Good to know:
A perfect example of medium-bodied Bordeaux style blends from the Gimblett Gravels.
Julian Grounds
Winemaker, Craggy Range
Julian Grounds was appointed Chief Winemaker at Craggy Range in 2019. Grounds brings over 10 years of winemaking industry experience, as he previously was Senior Winemaker at Giant Steps in the Yarra Valley of Australian and Chief Winemaker at McHenry Hohnen in Margaret River.
Julian’s interest and enthusiasm for contributing to the constant evolution of wine and his desire to help consumers understand and enjoy what they are drinking make him an outstanding fit for Craggy Range. “Great wines are great stories,” says Grounds. “They are both reflections of land and insight into the human mindset. When the balance between our innate agricultural abilities and the creativity of the human spirit is perfectly aligned, we capture pieces of history.”
