Kim Uncorked: Welcome to my weekly wine recommendation.
Hi, I’m Kim, a passionate lover of wine, food, and any experience that brings the two together! In this weekly blog post, I share my thoughts on a wine that I’ve recently purchased from one of our local independent wine merchants. If you’d like to know more about me, I’ve included a brief bio following the post.
2021 Craggy Range Te Kahu
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
Nesters Liquor Store
$45.08
101-7015 Nesters Road, Whistler BC
New Zealand is best known for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, but did you know it also produces exceptional Bordeaux-style blends? Hawke’s Bay, on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island, enjoys a warm maritime climate that provides a long, even growing season. Yet the region’s greatest viticultural asset is the famed Gimblett Gravels. Exposed when the Ngaruroro River dramatically changed course during a major flood in 1867, these deep alluvial gravel soils are ideally suited to Bordeaux varieties. Their excellent drainage forces the vines to send roots deep in search of water, while the stones absorb the sun’s warmth during the day and radiate it back at night, promoting complete phenolic ripeness. The result is naturally low yields of small, intensely concentrated berries.
The comparison to Bordeaux is fitting. Some of the Left Bank’s greatest communes are also rooted in deep gravel soils, exposed after the Dutch drained the Médoc marshes in the 17th century. While separated by half the globe, both regions owe much of their success to gravel.
Craggy Range’s Te Kahu showcases the remarkable quality of this unique terroir. Named after the Māori word for “the cloak,” it references the morning mist that blankets the estate. The 2021 blend comprises 49% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, and 2% Petit Verdot. It delivers impressive concentration, structure, and balance, suggesting it will continue to evolve beautifully for another decade.
Deep, inky ruby in colour, the 2021 Te Kahu opens with expressive aromas of cassis, ripe plum, dark cherry, clove, and a subtle fruitcake note layered over hints of smoke and toasted oak. The palate is youthful and powerful, revealing primary flavours of juicy plum, crushed raspberry, black cherry, and a touch of clove. Medium-plus acidity keeps the generous fruit balanced, while firm, chewy tannins provide impressive structure and length.
Make no mistake, however—this is a wine that benefits from food in its youth. Pair it with grilled steak, slow-braised beef, roasted lamb, or rich mushroom dishes to soften the tannic structure.
Kim Mead is a Vancouver-based wine and food writer. She holds the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines with Merit, the French Wine Scholar designation with Honours, the Bordeaux Masters designation with Honours, and the Italian Wine Essentials certification. Kim serves as Cellar Master for the Vancouver chapter of the International Wine and Food Society and is a member of the Commanderie de Bordeaux. Follow her @agalandaglass