| YEAR FIRST GRAPES CRUSHED | | 2001 | | OWN VINEYARD GG | | 100 Hectares | | VARIETIES | |
Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay. | | SALES / TASTINGS | | Retail, mailorder and cellardoor | | WINEMAKER | | Steve Smith and Rod Easthope |
While every piece of land has its potential, only those with special soils and unique interactions with their mesoclimate can produce single vineyard wines of character, quality and authority. The key is to select those vineyards. And the real expression of a vineyards terroir (the complex interplay of geology, soil, climate and culture) can only show when the human hand plays a gentle but highly skilled and decisive role in the vineyards and winery. The philosophy in making our wines is therefore very simple. We show utmost respect for our land and environment. We embrace the science and technology of viticulture and oenology, but we are not winemakers. The wines are first and foremost made in the vineyards, attention to detail in everything viticultural and low yields state our attitude. Careful harvesting of fully mature fruit and very gently pressing and handling of the juice are the cornerstone of our winemaking practices. Juice yields in white wines are low and no skin contact is practised as purity of texture and flavour is paramount. Respect for the juice and fermenting wine, and adopting a caretaker role to the process is how we play our hand. Red wine fermentations are warm, with long post fermentation maceration for complete extraction of vineyard character. Use of minimal natural finings and only the most gently of filtration and clarification ensures the retention of the vineyards character. Being ruthless with respect to quality.
Our philosophy is only as good as our vineyards. In time we will make a range of wines from the same variety that will show what we really mean by terroir. Like most great things it will take time, for our vineyards will need to age before their real character is revealed. Expect some vineyards to become the stars, others to be those very quiet achievers that surprise with time and consideration.
A COMMITMENT TO THE FUTURE OF GIMBLETT GRAVEL'S
This vineyard is Craggy Range's specialist vineyard for the production of red wines from the Bordeaux red varieties and Syrah. Within the companies single vineyard philosophy only one other very small vineyard exists for producing these wine styles, confirming the company's belief in the unique characters of the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing District. The land has a strong and distinctive history. After years of ownership and use by the Gimblett family as a winter paddock for their cattle and sheep, the property was purchased in 1987 by an international concrete company and destined for a gravel mine and quarry. A vigorous defence of the lands viticultural potential by local vignerons thwarted their efforts, which were declined twice by legislative authorities.The company gave up its efforts to mine the land in 1997 and offered the land for sale by public tender. Craggy Range Winery was the successful tenderer.
The vineyard is being developed using a combination of traditional and innovative philosophies.We have developed a very intensive narrow row vineyard of between 3500 and 4500 vines per hectare using only proven rootstocks and where possible clones from Bordeaux. Over 35 varietal plots have been carefully matched to the variations in depth and texture of the gravely soils that match the meandering old stream beds of the Ngaruroro River. Several plots are trained low to the ground to maximise the thermal conductivity and reflectiveness of the soils. Extensive deep preparation of the soils maximises the vines rooting depth into the veins of sand, silt, and clay that exist at depth in the gravels. Irrigation is applied, only when required, by means of a technologically advanced drip irrigation system.The vines are managed intensively by hand using the philosophy that the best vineyard management technique is "footprints in the vineyard". Hand crafted wine requires hand crafted vineyards.
The vineyard has the capacity to produce significantly more grapes than required for Craggy Range Winery. We will select out the very best, low cropping well balanced vines for Craggy Range, with the balance being sold. This vineyard will produce a single varietal Merlot and Syrah, and then a classic Bordeaux red blend.Within the vineyard is an exclusive parcel of Chardonnay we have named "Les Beaux Graves" The first vintage of these wines is 2001. CRAGGY RANGE WINERY
PO BOX 8749 • HAVELOCK NORTH • HAWKE'S BAY
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