Decanter – Smoulders with smoked meat, fennel sausage, smooth dark chocolate and Kahlúa-nuanced blackcurrant, plus sweet, bright, red cherry conserve. Lightly mouth-coating tannins (attractive grip and texture) reinforce the dry, rustic, savoury profile. Sourced predominantly from Boekenhoutskloof’s Porseleinberg and Goldmine farms in Swartland. Syrah and Cinsault are aged in seasoned 2,500-litre French oak foudres and barriques; Grenache in seasoned 600-litre demi-muids and Cabernet Sauvignon (7%) in new French oak barrique. Total production of 2,982 barriques. Satisfying.
Drinking Window 2021 - 2028
World Wine – "This 'Sophia' has remarkable vitality and life, with vibrant primary fruit, great richness and structure. It will age 15+ years."
20/20 - Raymond Chan
Huon Hooke – "Lifted aroma with pronounced plum and floral characters. A complex array of flavours on the palate including plum, dark berry, chocolate, spice and a hint of violet. Gorgeous wine with plenty of weight, a silken texture and real energy. Will be very long-lived."
98/100 - Bob Campbell MW
World Wine – It blends lots of Clarendon, Hickinbotham and Kangarilla into a lovely mix of spice and fruit. Notes of cinnamon and cherries mingle easily on the nose and palate of this wine, which comes across as medium to full-bodied and gentle in style, not overly extracted or tannic. Drink 2019-2026.
James Halliday – “Named after the Applejack eucalypts that surround the vineyard, which was planted at Gladysdale in 1997. Seven clones including 114, 115, MV6, D2V5, D5V15, Pommard and Abel! I've long considered the Applejack vineyard to be one of the greatest sites for pinot in Australia and I'm not sure I've seen a better version than the 2021. A deep, bright, crimson purple. Maraschino cherry into plum, there's an exotic and riotous amalgam of Asian five-spice and a gentle savoury, umami character. What elevates this vintage is the concentration, along with Applejack's trademark perfume and spice. Just so vibrant and fresh on the palate, the tannins are both silky and plentiful. You will have no problems opening and enjoying this now, but the wine's track record suggests you'll thank me if you still have some to drink 7–10 years from now, if not longer.”
98 points, Philip Rich
World Wine – One of the best examples of this wine we have shipped. Nothing like the stereotype of Bordeaux, this is fresh, vibrant and medium bodied. Lovely purity, the red cherry, blackberry, iodine and subtle spice aromatics leading to a pretty, juicy and energetic palate with plenty of pulpy fruit and round tannins and a lip-smacking, tangy close. Another bargain.
World Wine – A lovely drink, at an excellent price. Attractively packaged too.
Vibrant and lively but with some guts, some grind. Violets, black and red berries, cola, jubey blackcurrant. Love the firmness through the finish. The suggestion of vanillin. The perfumed aromatics. The fresh-but-controlled feel. You’d go this, for sure.
World Wine – Flowers and pears with white fruits in the nose. Elderflower, some peach and grapefruit in the body . Low acidity , round and lighter body with pretty complex pallet. Enjoyable and really drinkable
James Suckling – A medium-bodied red with firm tannins and a fresh and clean finish. Really intense and flavorful. Lovely balance and finesse. One of the best deals out there.
Decanter – Founded in 1993, Craggy Range is known for its wines from both Gimblett Gravels in Hawke's Bay and Te Muna Road in Martinborough. The Te Muna Road vineyard is separated into two distinct terraces, with Pinot Noir grown on the rocky, clay infused soils of the upper terrace. Hand harvested grapes are fermented in a combination of French oak and open top stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged in French oak barriques, of which around 25% are new. Drinking window 2020-2028.
James Halliday – 86/6/4/3/1% cabernet sauvignon/petit verdot/malbec/merlot/cabernet franc. Reaching heights of near perfection, '18 was a vintage responsible for wines just like this. Supple intensity, concentration of flavour without a gram of weight, the length of flavour possessed only by very healthy, perfectly ripe and balanced grapes. What a gloriously seamless wine, continuing the proud legacy of Parterre. Drink by 2041.
96 points
Erin Larkin – James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion
All wines over $25 per bottle will be vintage specific. In the case the listed vintage is out of stock, we will inform you via email for approval to go ahead.
Delivery Times
To be able to supply such a unique & extensive range of boutique wines, we don't hold much of the inventory. So with us, there is the added step of receiving the wine from our local suppliers before it is dispatched to you. Most orders are dispatched within 5-10 working days.
Quality Guarantee
Replacement or refund offered if bottles are faulty or damaged. All our deliveries are insured against loss, however you must notify us in a reasonable amount of time.
Sending a Gift
If you would like to include a gift message with your order, please enter that in the order instructions section. We'll print your message in a lovely font on A5 paper. We also won't include the invoice. Tracking will be sent to the email on file.
All wines over $25 per bottle will be vintage specific. In the case the listed vintage is out of stock, we will inform you via email for approval to go ahead.
To be able to supply such a unique & extensive range of boutique wines, we don't hold much of the inventory. So with us, there is the added step of receiving the wine from our local suppliers before it is dispatched to you. Most orders are dispatched within 5-10 working days.
Replacement or refund offered if bottles are faulty or damaged. All our deliveries are insured against loss, however you must notify us in a reasonable amount of time.
If you would like to include a gift message with your order, please enter that in the order instructions section. We'll print your message in a lovely font on A5 paper. We also won't include the invoice. Tracking will be sent to the email on file.
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