2022 Craggy Range Chardonnay Kidnappers Vineyard Hawkes Bay

Tasting notes

The wine’s colour transforms into a pale straw hue, instantly evoking the coastal essence of the vineyard. The bouquet carries hints of oyster shells, sea spray, and cashew, further reinforcing its seaside character. A sense of vibrancy and freshness on the palate is complemented by lively acidity that doesn’t compromise flavour. The taste of fresh lemon curd and subtle oak adds richness and makes for a delicious and invigorating palate.

Vintage Notes

Very warm, early spring, with minimal frosts. The season transitioned to a warm summer with several rain events post-Christmas, attesting to a typical La Nina season.

Viticulture

BRIX :21.9 average
PRODUCTION LEVEL 3:9 hl/ha average
HAND HARVESTED :70%

Vinification

WHOLE BUNCH :70%
DESTEMMED :30%
FERMENTATION VESSEL :Combination of French oak puncheon, foudre and stainless steel tanks
FERMENTATION :Inoculated and indigenous
BARREL TYPE :French oak puncheons
NEW BARREL % :15%
MATURATION :11 months
FINING :Yes
FILTRATION :Yes
BOTTLED :March 2023

RESIDUAL SUGAR <1
PH 3.34
ACIDITY 6.2 g/l

Winery Description

Established in 1998, 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, New Zealand.  With an unrelenting focus on quality, Craggy Range produces a collection of iconic wines from their exceptional estates in Hawke’s Bay, Martinborough, and Marlborough.

When Craggy Range owners Terry and Mary Peabody first set out to start a winery with world class aspirations, their search quickly brought them to New Zealand. Looking down from Te Mata Peak onto the land where Craggy Range now stands, they were clear that they wanted to create a winery and an experience which truly evoked the unique landscapes and heritage of the region.

Taking an innovative position of pursuing a multi-regional approach to wine growing meant we didn’t have to compromise. After discovering the promise of New Zealand, the Peabody family focused on the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing district in Hawke’s Bay and Te Muna Road in Martinborough to produce a collection of wines that speak very much of their place.

We have an ambition to sit comfortably alongside the great wineries of the world. This ambition is underpinned by a focus on quality, evolution and custodianship, specifically around community and the environment. In 2020 we embarked on an ambitious biodiversity project which will see us plant more than 100ha of native trees within our Martinborough vineyards, improving the biodiversity and eventually the quality of our land.

To ensure a firm commitment, Terry Peabody honoured the original promise of leaving a legacy for the family still to come and established a 1000-year trust, meaning the winery can never be sold. What has followed in the last 20 or so years has been the development of an iconic New Zealand winery which has never lost sight of its sense of place, or its family ties.

Craggy Range produces a collection of iconic wines from multiple regions in New Zealand. Owner Terry Peabody and his family pursued the single vineyard approach to winemaking, planting on green fields and bare land ensuring a focus on quality from the very beginning.

New Zealand, with its diversity of soils types, offered the perfect location to plant the vines. From the stony, warm soils of the Gimblett Gravels in Hawke’s Bay to the volcanic, clay soils of Te Muna Road in Martinborough these exceptional vineyards produce wines with amazing aromatics, purity and complexity.

The wines, produced for the Prestige and Family Collections are pure expressions of the unique terroir in which they were grown.