Craggy Range Chardonnay, Gimblett Gravels Vineyard, Hawke’s Bay 2024
- 93
- $56
- Drink by: 2026-2036
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From the Estate’s Gimblett Gravels vineyard at Hawke’s Bay, this is a rather muscular style of Chardonnay, with a serious future. Thoroughly enjoyable drinking. Lemon/yellow in colour, this is very much a youthful Chardonnay with notes of grapefruit, stone fruits, florals, spices, peaches and a chalky backing. This is poised and powerful, with early complexity already evident. We have good focus and seemingly boundless energy, all with impressive length. Worth putting a case or two in the cellar for up to a decade to see the wine in all its coming glory.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
