Craggy Range Le Sol Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2016 (6x75cl)
Full, near saturated black-red colour with purple hues on the rim, youthful in appearance. The nose is elegantly proportioned but very tightly bound and intense with concentrated aromas of ripe blackberry fruit along with notes of boysenberries and blueberries, harmoniously intermixed with a layering of Asian spices, liquorice and piquant black pepper entwined with violet florals. The aromatics are refined and elegant and seamless in expression, and feature fragrance. Medium-full bodied, the palate has succulently rich and luscious, near opulent flavours of ripe blackberries and boysenberries with blue fruit detail, along with subtle raspberry elements, entwined with Asian spices and black pepper, with violet florals. The fruit has richness and vitality and an effusive energy forming a rich, packed heart. The fruit is underlined by fine-grained, powdery tannin extract, balancing structure and integrated acidity. The wine carries to a very long, spicy, vibrant and sustained finish. This is a wonderfully rich and refined Syrah with succulently ripe black fruits, spices and pepper on a very fine-structured palate. Match with lamb, beef and venison over the next 8-10+ years. Hand-picked MS clone Syrah fruit fermented in open top French oak cuves with 20% whole bunches to 13.3% alc., the wine aged 17 months in 35% new French oak barriques.
Le Sol, one of the country's most respected syrah labels, cracked through the NZD $100 barrier with the 2013 vintage and has continued to adjust the price in a northerly direction. This is the first vintage that a small amount (20% ) of whole bunches has been used in the fermentation. Nicely perfumed and typically dense, rich syrah with a lovely texture and firm, rounded tannins. Powerful yet elegant wine with plum, berry and mixed spice flavours together with an interesting savoury edge
2016 Craggy Range Le Sol Gimblett Gravels $150Big, dark, brooding and delicious, the full bodied dry Le Sol shows why Syrah has
traded places over the past 11 years with Cabernet Sauvignon as New Zealand’s third most planted red grape. It is made from a heritage
grape clone brought to New Zealand in the 1830s. All of the grapes for this wine were hand harvested, 80% destemmed and fermented in
open top French oak barrels, which support the concentrated flavours of black pepper, black plums and black cherries. It was aged for 17
months in oak, 35% new. This beautiful Syrah drinks well now and can age for at least a decade.
Full-bodied, supple and nicely balanced at this early age, with spicy detailed aromas including some stemmy whole-bunch nuances. Elegant, supple, soft-tannin palate. Possibly the best Le Sol to date. (20% whole-bunch fermentation, for the first time)
The 2016 Le Sol is perhaps the most confident, self-assured expression of Syrah to yet emerge from this benchmark producer. I say that because it no longer relies on weight, power and extraction for its impressiveness, but rather on its wonderful fragrance and elegance. Perfumed notes of violets and cracked pepper lead the way, backed by anise and black cherries. It's medium to full-bodied, with a rich, velvety mouthfeel and tremendous length, echoing with hints of clove, cinnamon and sassafras.
Drinking Window: 2019 - 2028
Reviewer Name: Joe Czerwinski
Review Date: 28th February 2019
- Details
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- Year 2016
- Colour Red
- Country New Zealand
- Region Hawke's Bay
- Sub Region Gimblett Gravels
- Designation
- Classification
- Pack Size 6x75cl
- ABV 13°
- Drinking Window 2019 - 2028
- Drinking Recommendation Drinking Now
- LWIN 135319420160600750
- Reviews (5)
-
19.5 Raymond Chan
Full, near saturated black-red colour with purple hues on the rim, youthful in appearance. The nose is elegantly proportioned but very tightly bound and intense with concentrated aromas of ripe blackberry fruit along with notes of boysenberries and blueberries, harmoniously intermixed with a layering of Asian spices, liquorice and piquant black pepper entwined with violet florals. The aromatics are refined and elegant and seamless in expression, and feature fragrance. Medium-full bodied, the palate has succulently rich and luscious, near opulent flavours of ripe blackberries and boysenberries with blue fruit detail, along with subtle raspberry elements, entwined with Asian spices and black pepper, with violet florals. The fruit has richness and vitality and an effusive energy forming a rich, packed heart. The fruit is underlined by fine-grained, powdery tannin extract, balancing structure and integrated acidity. The wine carries to a very long, spicy, vibrant and sustained finish. This is a wonderfully rich and refined Syrah with succulently ripe black fruits, spices and pepper on a very fine-structured palate. Match with lamb, beef and venison over the next 8-10+ years. Hand-picked MS clone Syrah fruit fermented in open top French oak cuves with 20% whole bunches to 13.3% alc., the wine aged 17 months in 35% new French oak barriques.
98 Bob CampbellLe Sol, one of the country's most respected syrah labels, cracked through the NZD $100 barrier with the 2013 vintage and has continued to adjust the price in a northerly direction. This is the first vintage that a small amount (20% ) of whole bunches has been used in the fermentation. Nicely perfumed and typically dense, rich syrah with a lovely texture and firm, rounded tannins. Powerful yet elegant wine with plum, berry and mixed spice flavours together with an interesting savoury edge
18.5 Joelle Thomson2016 Craggy Range Le Sol Gimblett Gravels $150Big, dark, brooding and delicious, the full bodied dry Le Sol shows why Syrah has
traded places over the past 11 years with Cabernet Sauvignon as New Zealand’s third most planted red grape. It is made from a heritage
grape clone brought to New Zealand in the 1830s. All of the grapes for this wine were hand harvested, 80% destemmed and fermented in
open top French oak barrels, which support the concentrated flavours of black pepper, black plums and black cherries. It was aged for 17
months in oak, 35% new. This beautiful Syrah drinks well now and can age for at least a decade.
95 Huon HookeFull-bodied, supple and nicely balanced at this early age, with spicy detailed aromas including some stemmy whole-bunch nuances. Elegant, supple, soft-tannin palate. Possibly the best Le Sol to date. (20% whole-bunch fermentation, for the first time)
94 Wine AdvocateThe 2016 Le Sol is perhaps the most confident, self-assured expression of Syrah to yet emerge from this benchmark producer. I say that because it no longer relies on weight, power and extraction for its impressiveness, but rather on its wonderful fragrance and elegance. Perfumed notes of violets and cracked pepper lead the way, backed by anise and black cherries. It's medium to full-bodied, with a rich, velvety mouthfeel and tremendous length, echoing with hints of clove, cinnamon and sassafras.
Drinking Window: 2019 - 2028
Reviewer Name: Joe Czerwinski
Review Date: 28th February 2019
- Producer
-
Craggy Range is a family owned winery established in 1997. Found in the shadow of the Te Mata Peak in the premium wine growing area of Hawkes Bay, Craggy Range was the first in the Southern Hemisphere to make single vineyard wines. Selected for their special soils and unique climates the estate-owned vineyards in Hawke’s Bay, Martinborough and Marlborough produce wines of character, quality and authority. The portfolio includes the iconic Prestige and Family collections.
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Craggy Range Le Sol Gimblett Gravels Syrah
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Wine Rating is intended to show the quality of the wine from an investment perspective. It takes into account the prices achieved by the producer, the quality of the vintage and the critics' scores for this wine. AAA is the best rating, and B the most speculative.
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