Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2025 is a single-vineyard white from the stony soils of the Gimblett Gravels in Hawke's Bay, with lemon peel and peach over a mineral backbone. It comes from a vintage that Hawke's Bay winemakers greeted with real excitement. A lovely wine for anyone who likes fresh, mineral whites with some richness.
In the glass it shows aromas of chamomile and a faint hint of mandarin, with sweet-meal biscuit notes from time on lees (the yeast left over after fermentation, which adds texture and depth).
This is a wine for those of us who enjoy a white with freshness and richness in balance. It would pair well with fresh seafood and roast chicken, and it is a fantastic weekend wine.
The first Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay of 2025 was picked on 8 February, the earliest harvest on record for Craggy Range.
What it tastes like
The wine has real concentration of flavour. Lees ageing brings creamy cashew nut richness, and subtle French oak adds a gentle toasty edge that ties everything together. Fresh acidity keeps the palate lively and moving, and it finishes long and finely textured. It's delicious.
Style at a glance
- Body: concentrated, with creamy richness from lees ageing
- Sweetness: dry (under 1 g/L residual sugar)
- Acidity: fresh and bright
- Oak: fermented and aged in French oak puncheons and barriques; the oak is subtle and adds depth and a toasty note
- Style: mineral, fresh, creamy, single vineyard
Food to enjoy this with
- Seared scallops
- Salmon, pan-fried or baked
- Roast chicken with lemon and herbs
- Creamy mushroom or seafood risotto
- Crayfish with garlic butter
- Something unexpected: a mild Thai fish curry with lemongrass. The citrus and chamomile notes pick up the lemongrass, and the fresh acidity cuts through the coconut cream.
Who makes it
Craggy Range was founded in 1998 by Terry and Mary Peabody, and today three generations of the family work together in the business. Their search for great vineyard land led them to the raw, gravelly soils of the Gimblett Gravels in Hawke's Bay.
The vineyard sits in the heart of the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing District, on stony and loamy soils laid down by the shifting path of the Ngaruroro River over 150 years ago. Each chardonnay parcel is planted with several clonal selections, and the vines are typically among the first picked in the region each year.
For the 2025 vintage, the fruit was 100% hand-harvested and mostly whole-bunch pressed, then settled overnight. It was fermented in French oak puncheons (large 500-litre barrels) and barriques with a mix of indigenous and inoculated yeasts, and a small portion was matured in sandstone amphora. The wine rested on full lees until blending in the new year, then spent 3 months in tank before it was bottled, unfined and lightly filtered, in May 2026.
About the vintage
Craggy Range describe a warm, dry spring that encouraged healthy early development, followed by a cool, mild summer that preserved excellent acidity and delicate aromas and flavours.
Speaking to Hawke's Bay Wine during harvest, Craggy Range winemaker Ben Tombs reported that the fruit showed "vibrant acidity alongside moderate alcohol" and that the season was shaping up to be "a classic year for both reds and whites". In her harvest report for Decanter, Emma Jenkins MW described genuine excitement in Hawke's Bay, with some suggesting 2025 could rival the celebrated 2013 vintage.
When to drink it
It drinks well now. Craggy Range recommends cellaring this for up to 8 years from vintage, so enjoy it now and through to 2033. Serve it chilled at 10–13°C to show off its freshness and balance.
Technical details
| Winery: |
Craggy Range |
| Wine: |
Gimblett Gravels Vineyard Chardonnay |
| Vintage: |
2025 |
| Variety: |
Chardonnay |
| Region: |
Gimblett Gravels, Hawke's Bay |
| Country: |
New Zealand |
| Alcohol: |
13.5% |
| Oak: |
French oak puncheons and barriques, with a small portion in sandstone amphora |
| Fermentation: |
Indigenous and inoculated yeasts, in barrel |
| Cellaring: |
Up to 8 years from vintage |
| Serving temperature: |
10–13°C |
Where to buy
For international delivery to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, the Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2025 is available from our winenz.com website. For delivery within New Zealand, buy it from thewineryonline.co.nz. You can also buy it at our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine. On both websites and in both stores you can select a mixed case from a large range of wines, and if you are visiting from overseas, we can ship it home for you.
Questions we are often asked
Is Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2025 oaked?
Yes. It was fermented in French oak puncheons and barriques and rested on its lees before bottling, with a small portion matured in sandstone amphora. Craggy Range keep the oak subtle, so it adds depth while the fruit and minerality lead.
Is Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2025 a dry wine?
Yes. It has under 1 g/L of residual sugar, a pH of 3.25 and 13.5% alcohol, so it is fully dry with fresh acidity.
How long can I cellar Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2025?
Craggy Range say it can be enjoyed now or cellared for up to 8 years from vintage, which takes it through to 2033.
What food goes with Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2025?
Craggy Range suggest seared scallops, salmon, roast chicken with lemon and herbs, or a creamy risotto. Crayfish with garlic butter is another good match.
Where is the Gimblett Gravels Vineyard?
It is in the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing District of Hawke's Bay, on New Zealand's North Island. The stony, free-draining soils were left behind by the old course of the Ngaruroro River.
Where can I buy Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2025?
The Winery ships Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2025 internationally from winenz.com to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, and delivers within New Zealand from thewineryonline.co.nz. You can also buy it in our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores.
