2009 Craggy Range Syrah Le Sol Gimblett Gravels Vineyard- New Zealand, North Island, Hawkes Bay, Gimblett Gravels (6/27/2014)
Inky red, impenetrable colour. On bouquet, initially a little reticent, blackberries, sous bois and some cola. Also, initially dark cherries, that became more red cherries with time in the glass. Black and white pepper and Asian spice aromas also emerged with time. On palate, this is a bit of a monster now. It shows big fruit and extract and undue oak influence. The flavours are savoury, soy and umami, blackberry liqueur, cherry cola, liquorice, with a little animale. There is good depth and concentration with good mouthfeel. The tannins seem good quality but are a little young and aggressive. The elevage is a little too prominent on the back palate, as is the alcohol (14%). This is lacking elegance now and needs 5 years minimum to integrate, when it may earn a better score. (90 pts.)
I bought a bottle of 2006 a few years ago, after reading that it was “cool climate” and one of the best from NZ. Your note pretty much describes that wine as well. A little “warmer” than advertised, though definitely high quality.
Alan, Gimblett Gravels is definitely cooler climate (cf Southern Australia), but I know what you mean about warmer than advertised. I don’t think Craggy Range have quite yet got the alcohol and oak treatment right on this, their top, wine. However, I think they will (they have only been making it since 2001 or 2002, and the oak treatment has reduced in more recent years).
Incidentally, in this style, I thought the 2006 one of the better ones of these:
2006 Craggy Range Syrah Le Sol Gimblett Gravels Vineyard- New Zealand, North Island, Hawkes Bay, Gimblett Gravels (2/8/2014)
This is styled and priced as a world class Syrah and has some big reviews (eg Neal Martin 94, Bob Campbell 96), but to me, this bottle at least is not at this level. Drunk over two nights. Colour inky red. Better on bouquet than palate. An attractive, expressive bouquet of blackcurrant, blackberries and prune, with some nice, savoury spice aromas. With time open, showed a touch of black pepper (not excessive), some liquorice and a hint of florals (violets?). A ripe, very primary nose (no hint of secondary yet). On palate, pure and intense, with good acids, nicely in balance, well matched with food. Silky with ultrafine grained, spicy tannins. Sympathetic, well integrated oak, not overdone. After the first hour or so, develops some attractive savouriness and black pepper flavours on the back palate. This wine is aiming more for the traditional Northern Rhone than the big Australian Shiraz model. However, ultimately I do not think it has the dry extract and mid palate density to match its (laudable) ambition. Also, insufficient complexity for the very top level. Drinking well now, it is showing no signs of falling over, and may develop additional interest with another 5+ years cellar time. 91. (91 pts.)
Based on your recommendation, I visited Unison Vineyard and actually prefer its Syrah from Gimblett Gravels to Craggy Range’s version. Probably because Unison Syrah has very little oak influence at all.
I’ve bought since 2005 and I’m still waiting to drink a bottle which seems ready and balanced. There is no doubt that the quality of fruit and winemaking are excellent but I’d like to see more individuality in these wines. The fact that they are pulling back on the oak is encouraging. I believe that syrah has a great future in New Zealand, much more so that Bordeaux blends and on par with pinot noir as far as i’m concerned but syrah is in its early days here even more so than pn.
I had the 2010 vintage in a blind tasting last week-
Pretty serious flight of 4 wines as follows
Cote-Rotie Gaillard, 2012
Jaboulet 2007 Petit Chappelle
Craggy Range Le Sol 2010
Trinity Hill Hommage 2009
The Le Sol and the Hommage were both exceptional- Le Sol extremely rich and concentrated with the Hommage showing a much brighter spicier cool fruit note. Both these wines are absolutely world class!
That’s a great compliment that I’m sure John Hancock of Trinity and Steve Smith of Craggy would be pleased to hear. That’s what they aspire to for these wines. I have both wines in my cellar but have yet to try either one. However, they are well regarded.
John would I think be most pleased with the compliment because the Homage referred to is to the late Gerard Jaboulet, for whom John worked. The Trinity Syrah vines are from cuttings from their La Chapelle vineyard.
I like it, i like it quite a lot, but I have found it a little too glossy from the oak treatment and potentially a little forced in terms of ripeness. I could probably say that of a lot of the gravels wines, but at the Le Sol price point I’m looking for another level. Haven’t had anything in the last couple of years. When young I have almost preferred the Block 14 Syrah which was more restrained and pure.
I will say Craggy Range has really dialed in the Chardonnay over the years, and the last Les Beaux Cailloux i saw in a blind tasting showed very well. It was edged out by a Rhys Alpine Chardonnay but was certainly in that company.
Our views are similar about the Le Sol and their lower tier Block 14 Syrah (now called simply Syrah).
BTW, if you liked the Les Beaux Cailloux you will want to get some 2011. It is the last vintage, all of the vines had to be pulled due to leaf roll virus.
Trinity Hill Hommage was one of the best wines – not just best Syrahs – we had while were in NZ. We brought home a bottle of the 2004 and popped it a couple weeks ago and it was singing.
Hmmm… I’m still waiting for a bottle of Homage or Le Sol to come around into something really enjoyable. I have tasted and bought on/near release a few times but been a bit disappointed after a few years - the wines seeming a bit dulled (reduction?) and without much energy. That’s not to say they’re not “good”, but (to me at least) they are not “great”, tending towards monotone.
For about 4 to 5 vintages I bought some high end NZ Syrah based on hype (mostly). I bought Le Sol, La Collina, Hommage, Te Whau and even the Dry River. I tried a few and found them enjoyable, well made and modern but without anything to indicate an exciting future. I guess I feel that they have not as yet developed a sense of place in NZ compared to Pinot. I have tried some older Dry River Syrah (2001, 2002) they tasted older and smoother but not more complex.
When I consider what they ask for the Le Sol and the other “high end” NZ Syrahs vs what I pay in NZ for the Jamet, Clape & Chave St Joseph I concluded they were not value for money.
I will be happy to be proved wrong in time but right now I have stopped buying them completely. Back to NZ Pinot Noir for me I am afraid to say.
I don’t have the details to hand but vine age must be a huge factor in improving quality of NZ reds. 6 or 7 years ago the vast majority of Can or Syrah based wines in NZ were green and unpleasant. Now I think with more mature vines and a better understanding of the vineyards the wines are just getting better and better. We had the Villa Maria Reserve Cabernet Merlot 2010 at the same blind tasting the other week and I scored it ahead of Pontet Canet 2008, that should be a 30$ bottle of wine in the US, I was frankly amazed. If you gave up on NZ Cab and Syrah a few years back I would urge you to have another look!!
I do think vine age is helping things, as is better site selection, clonal selection and a better understanding of what varieties work best in each region.
That said i do have some concern that some of the wines (perhaps more common with especially Central Otago Pinots and Gimblett Gravel Reds) can be a little too glossy and “internationally” styled.
I actually miss some of the green aspects that some of the better reds of the 90s had. With some refinement I think there was the potential to make some excellent loire style red wine.
Hi Mark. I’ve had Bilancia syrahs, and have enjoyed them. They are widely regarded as being in the top tier of Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay syrahs, perhaps only a little behind Homage (widely regarded as the best) and perhaps on a par with Le Sol. They have won various international awards.
Their site looks promising. It is Northern Rhone-like on a steep North-facing small hill above the Gravels directly behind Trinity Hill. The vines are still relatively young, I think their first vintage was 2002.
How about cracking one open? I’d be interested in your impressions.
I’m likewise interested in additional input on my '05 Bilancia la Collina. Tried a couple early on and thought it was feminine in style, not overly complex, but brimming with potential. There have only been a few notes on CT, one of which mentioned the wine looking toward Northern Rhone. I didn’t get that on my early tastes, but I’m hoping I’ll be pleasantly surprised with the extra years of cellar time.
The comment here about additional vine age beginning to yield results does leave me open to further exploration of these NZ Syrahs, but I’ve yet to drink anything that makes me think my money is better spent here than in France; though each year it seems a few more N. Rhone favorite bottlngs move past my comfort range in terms of cost. Still flogging myself for not having the wisdom to stack the cellar deep with those wines when they were $19.