Wild Rock 'Cupids Arrow' Central Otago Pinot Noir 2007

From the Craggy Range stable comes a delicious, medium bodied, floral and perfumed pinot from Central Otago that offers outstanding value for money. A real crowd pleaser.

"The wine is darkly fragrant, and quite sweet to smell. Palate also suggests it is more old oak-affected, mellow, a little burly, not the delicacy of some, more big bourgogne rouge in style, very food-friendly."  Geoff Kelly Wine Reviews [same or better score than many of the heavyweights in the tasting, e.g. 07 Ata Rangi, 07 Dry River, 07 Pegasus Bay, 07 Quartz Reef…]

"Medium blackish-red in colour. The vibrant aromas are of red berries, cranberry and floral notes with a background of savoury dried herbs and wild thyme. The palate is complex and elegant with raspberry, boysenberry and cherry fruit characters with a rich savoury undertone. Fine sandy tannins and supporting acidity draw the wine into a long, bright finish."  Craggy Range

Expert reviews

"Tamarillo red. Intensely aromatic and brightly scented with hints of thyme, savoury oak and a touch of chocolate too. A fine textured pinot, medium-bodied in style yet with vinous concentration, it's full of bottled cherry fruit with just a little spice and a sweet touch to the savoury finish. Impressive at the price point. 13.5% alc."  Sue Courtney, www.wineoftheweek.com

"Pinot noir ruby, above midway in richness. Bouquet is a little different from most of these pinots, almost a hint of malt whisky in a positive way, as if all the cooperage were older. The wine is darkly fragrant, and quite sweet to smell. Palate also suggests it is more old oak-affected, mellow, a little burly, not the delicacy of some, more big bourgogne rouge in style, very food-friendly.  Twee name.  Cellar 3 – 6 years or so."  Geoff Kelly Wine Reviews – 17.0+ points  ★★★★ [same or better score than many of the heavyweights in the tasting, e.g. 07 Ata Rangi, 07 Dry River, 07 Pegasus Bay, 07 Quartz Reef…]

"Wild Rock is an offshoot of Craggy Range that is producing some excellent values. The 2007 Cupids Arrow Pinot Noir features bright cherry flavors tinged with wintergreen, a supple texture and a persistent finish. It's not that complex, but offers a silky mouthful of Pinot that would be perfect alongside salmon."  Wine Enthusiast - 90 points

About the winery

Craggy Range is a family-owned winery situated in the shadow of the spectacular Te Mata Peak in the premium wine growing area of Hawke's Bay. It was established in 1998 by Terry Peabody and his wife Mary to create a family legacy, one that could be handed down to future generations. To honour their pledge to the family they established a 1000 year trust, meaning the winery can never be sold.

Their search for a winery began traditionally enough, in France and America then spreading to Australia. An opportunity then brought Terry to New Zealand. Here he saw the potential he hadn't seen elsewhere – the country's exceptional climate, a rich history in farming the land and the pioneering spirit of the people.

It was here that Terry Peabody was introduced to noted Kiwi viticulturist Steve Smith, and together they sought out the best sites in this relatively young country with the ambition of being recognised as one of New Zealand's iconic wine producers. And so they settled on the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing district, an ancient river bed of the Ngaruroro River in Hawke's Bay. The Gimblett Gravels are the perfect place to grow Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet, as the gravels retain heat which aids ripening.

They then took their search to Martinborough, and more particularly, a spectacular piece of farmland in Te Muna Road. It has two distinct terraces, the higher comprised of very old rocky clay-infused soils that are perfect for growing Pinot Noir. The lower terrace of younger gravelly soils interleaved with limestone allows for a unique style of aromatic, minerally Sauvignon Blanc.

As the vineyards have matured over the years so have the wines. The winery was recognised in 2014 by renowned US publication Wine Enthusiast as ‘New World Winery of the Year'.

The wines of Craggy Range are produced at two sites, the Gimblett Gravels Winery and Giants Winery (refer to the map below). Most of the Craggy Range wines are made at the Gimblett Gravels Winery located in the heart of the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing district.

The Giants Winery, 25 km away, is at the base of Te Mata Peak in the Hawke's Bay region. The Giants Winery complex and vineyard is home to the Craggy Range cellar door, restaurant and a collection of three cellars. Their flagship wine 'Sophia' is made in one of these cellars, a specially designed circular fermentation cellar containing 8000-litre French oak cuves. Each of the cuves are used for fermenting the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot parcels of wine that come from the Gimblett Gravels Vineyard. Below the Sophia cellar is an underground barrel cellar named The Quarry where the blended components of ‘Sophia' are aged together for its final 12 months. The third cellar is a temperature controlled secondary fermentation cellar.

 

Craggy Range Wineries and Hawke's Bay sub-regions