Kim Crawford Dry Riesling Marlborough NZ

A richer rounder style of Riesling combining persistent citrus flavours with a sweet tropical edge. (12 x 75 cl)

This Pinot Gris from Kim Crawford was partly barrel fermented, a portion was put through malolactic fermentation and the balance was tank fermented. Before bottling, a small amount of Riesling was added for acidity, Gewurztraminer for aromatics and Chardonnay for mouth feel. The result is a rich and complex wine. It is pale straw in colour, with aromas of butterscotch and apple, coupled with a hint of citrus. It has a full bodied, ripe, fruit-based palate with peach and honey notes. Kim Crawford Wines was established in late 1996, when Kim launched a range made from fruit grown on the South Island, to be marketed in New Zealand and the UK. Kim’s control over his own grape supply has ensured that quality remains at its current very high level. He now has a stake in about 250 acres of vineyard and buys the rest of his fruit from growers with whom he has long term relationships. The Pinot Gris is bottled under stelvin closure so that it can be enjoyed free from cork taint and in perfect condition. (12 x 75 cl)

The Kim Crawford Pinot Noir has perfumes of black cherries and red currants on the nose, with hints of smoke and a little oak. On the palate, the juicy, cherryish fruit is to the fore, with ripe, soft tannins and a clean, succulent finish. Kim’s control over his own grape supply has ensured that quality remains at its current very high level. He now has a stake in over 100 hectares of vineyard, while the rest of his fruit comes from growers with whom he has developed long term arrangements. All of this has resulted in better fruit, which in turn means better wines. The wine has again been sealed with a Stelvin closure. This ensures cork taint is eliminated, oxidation is minimized and that the wine arrives as was intended by the winemaker. (6 x 75 cl)

Pansy Rose from Kim Crawford is a wonderful example of a fresh and elegant New World Rose, which is made predominately from Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes. A full-bodied fruity little number with a pinkish cherry colour, this wine offers great intensity with loads of ripe fruit: juicy raspberries, watermelon, apples and zesty sherbet. Kim Crawford Wines was established in late 1996, when Kim launched a range made from fruit grown in the South Island. Kim now controls over 200 acres of vineyard and buys grapes from growers with whom he has long term relationships. Pansy Rose is bottled under stelvin closure so that it can be enjoyed free from cork taint and in perfect condition. (6 x 75 cl)

Pale straw in colour, with touches of green, the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from Kim Crawford has classic aromas of gooseberry, passion fruit and tropical fruits mixed with a touch of herbaceousness. The wine is mouth-filling with good texture and finishes well with crisp acidity and great length. These grapes were selected from a number of vineyards throughout the Marlborough region. Individual blocks were targeted for their strengths and overall contribution to the blend. Kim’s winemaking philosophy is straightforward: With every wine I make, I aim to let the natural flavour of the grape flow through into the final product. New Zealand grapes benefit from a natural fruitiness. My role as winemaker is to make sure that this succulence and richness is abundantly present in the wine you pour from the bottle. (6 x 75 cl)

Kim's Unoaked Chardonnay is still the benchmark for this style in New Zealand. The Marlborough Unoaked Chardonnay has a pale straw colour with touches of green and gold. On the nose lifted stone fruit combines with butterscotch, and on the palate tropical fruits abound with a full and rich mouthfeel. Good fruit weight and length is balanced nicely with firm acidity. Sourced from selected cool sites in Marlborough, the grapes for the Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay obtained full ripeness with high levels of natural acidity. The wine is bottled under Stelvin closure, so that it can be enjoyed free from cork taint, in perfect condition. (6 x 75 cl)

Each vintage Kim Crawford Wines discover small batches of exceptional grapes which they make into their Small Parcel SP range and the Spitfire derives its name from the origin of the grapes which were grown on the Delta vineyard formerly used as an air force training base during WWII. Spitfire is a hugely aromatic and intense wine with nettle, grapefruit and tropical notes, which are underscored with the typical herbaceousness (12 x 75 cl)

Spitfire derives its name from the origin of the grapes which were grown on the Delta vineyard formerly used as an air force training base during WWII. Pale, almost white in colour, the perfumes of the Sauvignon Blanc are explosive. A blend of nettles, gooseberry and tropical fruit combined with the characteristic herbaceousness of this variety. On the palate the wine is intense, with tropical fruit flavours such as passion fruit combined with hints of fig. Rich and full on the palate, it is a blend of sweet fruit and zingy acidity. Long and spicy on the finish. Kim Crawford Wines was established in late 1996, when Kim launched a range made from fruit grown in the South Island. Kim's control over his own grape supply has ensured that quality remains at its current very high level. He now has a stake in over 100 hectares of vineyard, while most of the rest of his fruit comes from growers with whom he has developed a long term arrangements, something that means he can ask the grower to reduce yields or pick exactly when Kim decides the time is right. All of this has resulted in better fruit, which in turn means better wines. The saying 'good things come in small parcels' applies particularly to these wines. Each vintage, Kim discovers small batches of exceptional grapes that he makes into the Small Parcel SP range. The fruit from the Delta vineyard proved exceptional this year and although it is unusual that a single vineyard produces a full enough spectrum of flavours to make a complete wine. The grapes were machine harvested, destemmed and pressed immediately, then cold-settled for 36 hours. The juice was then racked, warmed and inoculated for cool fermentation in order to retain as much of the Sauvignon Blanc character as possible. (6 x 75 cl)

Colour: Moderate depth of colour with strong crimson on the edges. Aroma: Intense primary Pinot Noir fruits, especially raspberry and cherry, and hints of sweet oak. A subtle beef Bovril complexity is beginning to occur. Palate: Intense primary pinot noir flavours abound. Sweet berry fruit is complexed with toasty oak and ripe tannins. The palate is full bodied with great richness and longevity. Full bodied with the unusual combination of power and elegance seen only in the best Marlborough Pinot Noirs. (6 x 75 cl)