Vineyards
- The McKenzie vineyard is located in Waipara close to the winery. The vineyard is a free draining terrace site. The average age of vines varies from 16 years or older.

Wine Making
- All hand harvested in late April and early May
- Harvest brix ranged from 22-23 brix [% sugar]
- Fermentation was in small vessels [1500L] 3 day cool soak, inoculated with yeast,
fermentation varies from 4-6 days peaking at 32 C then allowed 7-10 days on skins. Some components were given extended skin contact up to 28 days.
- Pressing was in traditional Basket Press
- Cooperage was a mixture of French barrels ranging in age from new to 6+ years. Duration is approx 18 months
- Malo lactic [ML] fermentation is natural starting in Spring and the wine is racked and has a SO2 addition once ML complete.
- Bottling is through 1 micron filter

Bottle Details
- Alcohol 13.0 % by volume
- Acid is 5.5 gm/L [as tartaric]
- Volatile Acidity is 0.45 gm/L
- Residual Sugar is < 1 gm/L

This wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot from gravelly parcels in Pauillac and is aged in 60% new oak and the remainder one-year-old oak. The bouquet is gentle and understated and leads to a medium-bodied palate with grippy tannins, heightened graphite notes, and a focused and compelling finish offering crisp pencil shaving notes. Drink now and through to 2040.

Chateau du Tertre Margaux is one of the estate’s flagship wines. It is silky and elegant, yet powerful and concentrated. The palate is fruit forward with excellent texture, tannin and balance. This wine will age very well in the cellar but is already drinking excellently.

This blend of 66% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon shows off a bright deep red colour with purple reflections. Red fruit aroma dominate the nose overlayed with subtle peppermint notes. Balanced and smooth with fine tannins, this is classic Bordeaux in style with a spicy rich finish.

A powerful, deep and well-structured wine, round and elegant, with excellent ageing potential.

Chateau Laffitte Carcasset is a classic Saint-Estephe red wine. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, it is crafted from the best plots in the vineyard. Since 2016, oenologist Hubert de Bouard and his team provide consulting on the winemaking process.

The wine is aged for 12 months in oak barrels, 45% of which are new. It is a powerful, deep and well-structured wine, round and elegant, with excellent ageing potential (an average of 15-20 years). Made primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon, the blend also includes a large percentage of Merlot, making it enjoyable to drink in its youth.

Fleshy, soft, smooth Merlot from Pays D'Oc in the south of France. Beautiful youthful red made for immediate consumption with satisfying depth of ripe plum flavours supported by moderate oak support for complex flavour notes and a lingering finish. Made with grapes grown on the slopes of the Orb Valley and Herald's Valley in the south of France. 

Great value for money.

Commercial description

Bordering the old Waiheke Air Strip this vineyard produces world-class Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot.

Planted when their children were barely walking, John and Paul Dunleavy?s vines have matured over two decades and, like their children, bring their own unique character to this wine.

Aged in barrels for 10 months, but made in a forward, fruit driven style to be enjoyed in youth, The Strip will continue to improve over time with careful cellaring.

Sophia is part of Craggy Range's Prestige Collection, which is the winery's top tier of wines and only released in the best years. 

Sophia is a Merlot blend, modelled on right bank Bordeaux classics. This wine includes 19% Cabernet Franc and 81% Merlot. All grapes were hand picked and 100% destemmed with fermentation all taking place in French oak cuves with innoculated yeasts. The wine was matured in French oak barriques, 45% new, for 18 months and bottled without fining but with a coarse filtration to retain as much weight, tannin and flavour as possible. This is a wine for the long haul and will reward decanting now as well as aging for up to a decade. 

Château Chantalouette is the second wine of Château de Sales. Owned by the same family for over five centuries, the 116 acre estate is the largest in the appellation and boasts the only true castle of Pomerol.

The vineyards here are composed of 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon on small gravel and iron-rich loess.

Vinification is managed delicately, leading to beautifully crafted wines that are expressive of their terroir. Traditional racking and light egg-white fining help to preserve the brightness of the fruit.

Chantalouette is named after one of the larger parcels constituting the vineyard of Château de Sales. The wine is charming, round, elegant, and approachable from a young age.

"Composed of 78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Chambrun is deep garnet-purple in color with warm blackberries, black cherry pie and blueberry compote with touches of fried herbs and cedar. The palate is medium to full-bodied with bags of vibrant fruit and a firm frame of rounded tannins, finishing long and refreshing."

Rating (90 - 92)+

Reviewed by Lisa Perrotti-Brown