Craggy Range Te Kahu 2022 Wine Review

Natalie's Score: 95/100

Craggy Range Te Kahu from the Gimblett Gravels single vineyard in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand is a dry, medium-plus-bodied Bordeaux-style blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, offering a beautifully layered nose of ripe plum, dried blueberry, pencil shavings, warm earth and a lifted thread of dried rose petal that carries through to a long, focused finish framed by fine, powdery tannins and lively acidity. Chief Winemaker Ben Tombs, who took the reins in November 2023, continues the tradition of coaxing extraordinary complexity from this single remarkable site, where deep greywacke gravel soils absorb the sun's warmth during the day and radiate it back through the night, giving the grapes a ripeness seldom achieved elsewhere in New Zealand. The name Te Kahu means "the cloak" in te reo Maori, a reference to the mist that envelops the valley, and legend has it this mist once sheltered a mythical Maori maiden as she visited her lover Te Mata. Notably, the 2016 vintage of Te Kahu was named one of the top 50 wines at the Decanter World Wine Awards from more than 16,500 entries, the only Hawke's Bay wine to achieve that distinction. Serve it slightly below room temperature alongside herb-crusted rack of lamb, where the wine's earthy depth and fine tannins find a natural partner; it is equally compelling with a slow-roasted veal shoulder with mushrooms and thyme, the wine's savory, cedar-laced character weaving through every bite. Cellar with confidence through 2040.

Food pairings: grilled lamb chops, veal cutlets, turkey.

Luscious Lamb Wine

Natalie MacLean reviewed this Craggy Range Te Kahu 2022 for the Vintages release of April 11, 2026.

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Please note that our reviews are based on a variety of sources: samples sent to our team, those we purchase in store, tasting events, those tasted in restaurants and while traveling domestically and internationally.

Recipes for Craggy Range Te Kahu 2022

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