Craggy Range records third ‘exceptional’ vintage with 2015 release

Craggy Range has launched its top-end wines from the 2015 harvest, the third of a string of “exceptional” consecutive vintages, according to its chief winemaker Matt Stafford, despite losing 50% of its crop at its Te Muna vineyard in Martinborough.

Craggy Range winemaker Matt Stafford

The producer’s trio of top wines include the 100% Pinot Noir Aroha, produced from its Te Muna vineyard in Martinborough; Sophia, a Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from Gimblett Gravels in Hawke’s Bay; and its flagship Syrah, Le Sol, also from the Gimblett Gravels.

Speaking generally of the 2015 vintage, Stafford records: “If in 2013 we got a little serious about ourselves and in 2014 we exhibited our comfortable confidence, then within the 2015 wines we showcase the heightened maturity of our vineyards and maturing approach in the cellars.”

Despite 2015 being a positive vintage overall, crops of Pinot Noir at its Te Muna vineyard suffered a 50% loss, with a cool spring and frosts compounded by the region’s fierce winds that drive up from the south Atlantic.

“Martinborough is very exposed to the south so when that wind picks up it blows through Martinborough,” explains Stafford, speaking to the drinks business. “We lost 50% in Martinborough, but we have had years where we only see 7% of the crop. Those years we see a high skin to juice ratio. But we understand now that you can’t control that. Through the years the big change has been the use of whole bunch fermentation.”

Craggy’s 2015 Aroha, which means ‘love’ in Maori, is made with 50% whole bunch, with grapes fermented in a combination of open top steel tanks and French oak barrels, using indigenous years, and aged in French oak barriques for nine months.

Martinborough is one of three regions in the Wairarapa Valley located on the north island, east of Wellington, and was one of the earliest pioneers of Pinot Noir in New Zealand. However it accounts for just 1.3% of the country’s total production due to its marginal nature and is home to mostly small, family-owned and boutique producers.

“It is tough going,” adds Stafford. “One positive is the selling point is high. There’s not too many major producers there because of the marginal nature of it, although Burgundy is on a knife edge as well. [Martinborough] is having a good season this year, but there have been some pretty tough ones. In the early years we suffered from frost. Now we have sprinklers but that means cooler temperatures. So now we are looking at whether that’s a good thing to do. Is having that cooler temperature affecting the vine. We may change to windmills.”

GIMBLETT GRAVELS

Less challenging was the 2015 vintage in Hawke’s Bay, with Craggy’s Gimblett Gravels vineyard experiencing its third “exceptional” vintage in a row. Gimblett Gravels is one sub region of New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay, which also comprises Hastings and Bridge Pa, primarily known for its Syrah and Bordeaux-style blends.

From its Gimblett Gravels vineyard, Craggy produces its 100% Syrah, Le Sol – aged for 17 months in French oak barriques – and Bordeaux blend, Sophia – aged for 19 months in French oak barriques.

Craggy’s Le Sol – A 100% Syrah from Gimblett Gravels

While Stafford acknowledges criticism in the past that some of the region’s wines can be overly ripe and over extracted in character, taking away from their sense of place, a trend toward lower alcohol and earlier picking has marked an evolution in the style of wines produced by the region.

“2013 was a year where there was nothing that forced us to pick,” explains Stafford. “There were no weather events, so there you have to think stylistically. When we had vintages like that before people pushed the boundaries and picked on the riper side and extracted more. Some of the 1998 and 2002 vintages are beautiful but very different. We have moved into this space that’s unique to New Zealand. Warmer climates can do that style easily. For us it’s about aromatics. Trying to move into a more full bodied space is dangerous territory. The nice thing is that it’s not a concerted effort to pick earlier. Some countries are really dialling into that cool climate and picking earlier. We will for the most part pick late as we can, because the rain is about to fall.”

While New Zealand’s red wine story is dominated by Pinot Noir, from Central Otago, Stafford believes there is potential for Hawke’s Bay Syrah to tap into a shift in drinking preferences, from Australian Shiraz to New Zealand Pinot, citing the region’s expression of Syrah as the country’s “third story”.

“It’s going to be small steps, and commercially you are never going to see high volumes, because then you do you lose that concentration. If you are going to be critical of [the wines] they can be quite bland,” admits Stafford, “but we rarely see them being over ripe.

“If you look back 10-15 years ago most blokes drinking wine would be told to go to New Zealand for whites and Australia for reds. That’s shifted from Australian Shiraz to Central Otago Pinot Noir, and I think Hawke’s Bay Syrah needs to slot in there too. With the red wine story it’s about finding our niche positioning and I think vine age and showing wines with age will really help. It’s amazing how often we show people wines from Gimblett Gravels that open people’s eyes. But the more that we pound the pavement it will filter down to consumers.”