Craggy Range Le Sol’ Syrah 750ml

Brand: Craggy Range

Release Name: Le Sol Syrah (Single Vineyard, Flagship)

Wine Style / Type: Full-Bodied, Structured Red Wine

Varietal: 100% Syrah (Heritage Clone, Brought to New Zealand in the 1840s)

Age: Vintage varies depending on current stock

Volume: 750ml Bottle

Alc / Vol (%): Varies by vintage (typically around 13.5%) — please confirm against current stock

Country: New Zealand

Region: Hawke's Bay (Gimblett Gravels, Ngaruroro River Riverbed)

Cask Type: Fermented in Open-Top French Oak Vessels and Stainless Steel; Matured Approximately 17 Months in French Oak Barriques (Around 38% New)

Limited Edition: No (Craggy Range's Standing Annual Le Sol Release — Flagship, Small-Production Wine)

Award Winner: Yes — 95-96 Points, Decanter and Vinous (Multiple Vintages); 93 Points, Wine Enthusiast; One of Only Two Craggy Range Wines Selected for the Place de Bordeaux

Craggy Range is a family-owned New Zealand winery formed in 1997/1998 by Australian businessman Terry Peabody and Master of Wine Steve Smith, built on the selection of exceptional single vineyard sites across Hawke's Bay and Martinborough. Every Craggy Range wine comes from a single, named vineyard, with individual parcels fermented and matured separately to preserve genuine site character rather than blending for broad consistency. The estate's Martinborough vineyards, centred on Te Muna Road, sit alongside its Hawke's Bay operations in the Gimblett Gravels district, together forming the core of a range widely regarded as among New Zealand's finest and most terroir-driven wine producers.

Le Sol is sourced from the stoniest parcels of Craggy Range's Gimblett Gravels estate, planted with an ancient, heritage Syrah clone brought to New Zealand in the 1840s — genuinely rare vine material rather than a modern clonal selection, giving the wine a distinct character tied directly to that specific heritage planting. Owner Terry Peabody has named it his personal favourite across the entire Craggy Range range, citing its lively character and ability to age beautifully in the cellar for decades. That reputation is backed by consistently outstanding critical acclaim — recent vintages have scored 95-96 points from Decanter and Vinous, 93 points from Wine Enthusiast, and the wine has been directly compared to the finest Syrah of France's Northern Rhône. It's also one of only two Craggy Range wines ever selected for inclusion in the prestigious Place de Bordeaux (alongside the Pinot Noir-based Aroha), a genuinely rare honour for a New Zealand wine and a mark of serious international recognition. Grapes are hand-harvested, partially whole-bunch fermented, and matured around 17 months in French oak barriques (roughly 38% new), a considered process that builds real structure without overwhelming the fruit. A serious, cellar-worthy choice for Syrah collectors and anyone wanting proof that New Zealand can produce world-class Rhône-style reds.