2019 Aroha Pinot Noir, Craggy Range
Martinborough, New Zealand
A savoury Pinot Noir with chanterelle mushroom and white truffle aromas leading to a lively, pure and beautifully balanced palate with a concentrated core of red fruit.
Aroha, a term of endearment in the Māori language of New Zealand, carries the profound essence of love. In perfect alignment with its evocative namesake, Aroha is a labor of love, meticulously handcrafted from the union of two exceptional parcels of Pinot Noir, one of which is graced by the legendary Abel clone.
These grapes are nurtured on the slopes of an elevated terrace within the Te Muna Road vineyard, where an ancient, long-dry riverbed once wove its course. In its wake, it left behind soil teeming with the richness and nutrients ideal for the cultivation of Pinot Noir. This terroir, imbued with history and character, serves as the cradle of Aroha’s distinct and captivating flavors.
Whats in the bottle
Pinot Noir 100%
Notable Awards
98 points, Bob Campbell MW, Real Review
Dark cherry and plum, dried roses, a little sweet spice and cedar, and that regional sort of tamarillo and scrub herb thing. It’s medium-bodied but quite dense, with a little pomegranate tang and chicory bitterness through dark fruit and ripe strawberry, a bit of a ‘mineral’ feel here too, along with well-packed cocoa powder tannin. The finish is long, sappy, and quite firm. A more nuanced wine than previous iterations, perhaps. Very good.
Complete the look:
- Producer Information
- Winemaking
- Tech Stuff
Established in 1998, Craggy Range is a family-owned winery situated in the shadows of the spectacular Te Mata Peak in Hawke’s Bay. With an unrelenting focus on quality, Craggy Range produces a collection of iconic wines from their estate vineyards in Hawke’s Bay, Martinborough, and Marlborough. When owners Terry and Mary Peabody first set out to start a winery, they looked down from Te Mata Peak onto the land where Craggy Range now stands, and they were clear that they wanted to create wines which truly evoked the unique landscapes and heritage of the region. Since then, Craggy Range has developed into an iconic New Zealand winery which has never lost sight of its sense of place, or its family ties. Heavily invested in social and environmental sustainability, they are certified by SWNZ and have created initiatives such as the Children’s Christmas Foundation.
The fruit for this wine was hand harvested from the best blocks and meticulously sorted. 32% of the fruit was vinified as whole bunches, adding subtle complexity and structure, the remainder was destemmed. Fermentation took place in a combination of open top stainless-steel tanks and French oak vats with indigenous yeasts. Maturation lasted for 12 months in French oak barriques, of which 30% were new.
Country
New Zealand
Producer
Craggy Range
Grape
Pinot Noir
Vintage
2021
Types
Red Wine
Alcohol by Volume
13.5%
Size
750ml
Region
Martinborough, North Island
2019 Aroha Pinot Noir, Craggy Range
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- New Zealand