Sophia Gimblett Gravels Vineyard 2022
Trade Tools
New Zealand
Produced entirely from Craggy Range’s Gimblett Gravels Vineyard, nestled on the right bank of the Ngaruroro River, Sophia is a blend of the very best Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Malbec parcels of the vineyard. The grapes are hand harvested and destemmed before fermenting in closed-top oak vessels. The wine then matures in French barriques.
Harvest Note
A hot, early spring with minimal frosts transitioned to a warm summer with several rain events post-Christmas, attesting to a typical La Nina season.
Tasting Note
Deep garnet red. Intensely aromatic with mulberry, blackcurrant, and mocha. Open and approachable, with dark cherry, cinnamon, and chocolate flowing seamlessly across the palate. Pure and expressive yet clearly built to age.
Technical Data
GRAPES: 77% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc
APPELLATION: Hawke's Bay
PH: 3.65
ACIDITY: 5.8 g/L
ABV: 13%
AGING: 17 months in French oak barriques (33% new)
Unique Selling Points
- In blind tastings, Sophia has repeatedly placed ahead of top First Growth Bordeaux
- Gimblett Gravels is known as New Zealand's best terroir for Bordeaux blends and Syrah
- The stony vineyard absorbs the day's heat and radiates it at night, helping ripeness
I am fortunate to lead an extraordinary group of people who want to be part of creating something truly magnificent that successive generations can admire and enjoy for years to come. I love our great estates and feel a strong connection to their complexities and subtleties.
Ben Tombs, Winemaker
About the Grape
Merlot
Merlot makes plump, succulent wines to drink young or opulently massive wines for aging. Has silky, blackberry and currant fruit, with spice, earth, tobacco and chocolate notes, and soft tannins.
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc usually shows tart red cherry and wild currant aromas and flavors with an herbal, spicy character. In the Loire, esp. Chinon and Saumur-Champigny, this grape shows firm minerality.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is adaptable to various growing conditions, and is known for its low yield and late ripeness. It generally produces full-bodied wines with substantial acidity and tannins.
Petit Verdot
Petit Verdot makes a dark, firmly structured, tannic wine with superbly balancing acidity, and fresh, full flavors and aromas of spice, pepper and black fruits with notes of violets.
