2009 Craggy Range "Sophia" Bordeaux Blend Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay New Zealand

SKU #1074627 95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Very deep garnet-purple, the 2009 Gimblett Gravels Sophia is blended of 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. The nose is very youthful and a little closed, giving notes of ripe plums, mulberries and crushed blackberries over cloves, pencil shavings, cedar, mace and coffee beans with a hint of dark chocolate. Medium-full bodied, the tight-knit palate gives balanced, medium-high acid, firm grainy tannins and lots of berry and spice layers, finishing long. Consider drinking it 2013 to 2022+. (10/ 2011)

K&L Notes

17.5 out of 20 points from JancisRobinson.com: "Very grown-up, sophisticated, complex nose. Lovely build. Fluid fruit with masses of minerality and some nicely judged tannins. A wine for the long term...Really appetising. Still too young and the acidity is notable at the moment. Neat." (10/11) Produced entirely from Craggy Range's Gimblett Gravels Vineyard nestled on the right bank of the Ngaruroro River, this is a blend of the very best Merlot and Cabernet Franc parcels of the vineyard. Always classy, always evocative and always richly textured. Dark plum, blackcurrant, dried rosemary, cocoa dust and a hint of vanilla vie for attention. Brooding and ripe. The palate is layered with fine dusty tannins providing the structure for the ample flavor and length. Exceptional balance between fruit richness, tannic backbone and acidity is immaculate. 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot.