Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah 2019

Cellar for up to 14 years. Decant 1 hour before serving. Regarded as one of New Zealand’s top boutique wineries, Craggy Range is named after the rugged Te Mata mountain peak which looms over the property in Hawkes Bay. With the help of Master of Wine Steve Smith, Australian businessman Terry Peabody founded the estate here in 1997. At the time much of the land in Gimblett Gravels was owned by the cement company who intended to mine it and it was only thanks to the efforts of local wineries that the vineyards prevailed. Craggy Range has a reputation for exceptional quality and they only ever produce single vineyard wines using their own estate-grown grapes. Owner Terry Peabody has previously named this wine, El Sol, as his favourite of the whole range thanks to its lively character and ability to age beautifully in the cellar for decades. The wine is named after the French word “el sol” meaning “the soil”, a reference to the stony Gimblett Gravels where it begins its life. Grapes for this wine come from the stoniest part of the vineyard which is planted with an ancient Syrah clone originally brought to New Zealand in the 1840s. The deep inky purple hue is complemented by intense notes of wild berries, cassis and dark plum along with hints of lavender, graphite and woodsmoke. On the palate there is a generous full body, firm tannins and a very long finish dominated by dark berries, winter spice and deep notes of sunbaked earth, polished leather, and forest floor.

Price: £50.90 from 8wines UK