2013 Craggy Range 'Sophia' Merlot Cabernet Franc

Sophia is Craggy Range's flagship wine, a Bordeaux blend sourced from their best parcels of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in the famous Gimblett Gravels vineyard. The wine is made at the Giants Winery complex in a specially designed circular fermentation cellar containing 8000 litre French oak cuves. Each of the cuves is used for fermenting the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot parcels of wine that come from the Gimblett Gravels Vineyard. Below the Sophia cellar is an underground barrel cellar named The Quarry where the blended components of Sophia are aged together for its final 12 months.

Varieties: Merlot (62% ), Cabernet Sauvignon (19%), Cabernet Franc (18% ), Petit Verdot (1%)

20/20 Points - Raymond Chan
Very dark, deep, black-hued ruby-red with a youthful purple rim. The nose is very elegantly proportioned and tightly concentrated with aromas of ripe blackberry fruit entwined with black plums and blackcurrants. The aromatics show beautiful clarity and fragrance with lifted red and black fruits, along with fragrant spices, oak and smoke notes. This has great depth, intensity and finesse. Medium-full bodied, rich, sumptuous and luscious layers of ripe black plum and blackberry fruit are lifted by blackcurrants and sweet herbal notes, with fragrant red fruit, leaf and floral elements. The fruit is enhanced by nuances of spice and subtle oak richness. The wine is driven along with a very refined core of extraction, with elegance of structure and grip, and excellent linearity, the sweetness enlivened by juicy, ripe acidity. This has the perfect balance of freshness, vitality and mouthwatering richness, the flavours carrying through to a very long finish. This is a wonderfully elegant, sweetly rich, vibrantly refreshing Sophia, with refined structure and the balance to age 10-15 years. Serve with roast lamb, beef, venison, and with semi-hard cheeses. A blend of 62% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot from the 'Gimblett Gravels vineyard, fermented to 13.8% alc., the wine aged 19 months in 42% new French oak barriques.

98 Points - Bob Campbell 
A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Lifted aroma with pronounced plum and floral characters. A complex array of flavours on the palate including plum, dark berry, chocolate, spice and a hint of violet. Gorgeous wine with plenty of weight, a silken texture and real energy. Will be very long-lived. Drink 2016-2028.