Craggy Range 'Te Kahu' Gimblett Gravels 2024 is a Merlot-led, Bordeaux-style blend from the stony Gimblett Gravels in Hawke's Bay, with cassis, cedar and cocoa. It was rated 95 POINTS by James Suckling and 93 POINTS by Stephen Wong MW in The Real Review. A great wine for anyone who likes rich, savoury reds with real structure.
In the glass it shows concentrated black and blue fruits, with a savoury edge of black olive and dried tobacco and a lick of liquorice. The tannins are supple and laced with dark chocolate, and the finish is long and well structured.
This is a wine for those of us who enjoy a red with real weight that is still lovely to drink young. It would pair well with slow-cooked lamb, and it is a fantastic weekend wine.
Merlot makes up 49% of the blend, joined by Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec, all from Craggy Range's Gimblett Gravels Vineyard.
What it tastes like
This wine has ripe, dark fruit at its core, and Craggy Range describe a wine of depth and richness with vibrant energy on the palate. Give it air by swirling it in the glass and the savoury, smoky notes open up. It's delicious.
Style at a glance
- Body: medium, with real concentration
- Sweetness: dry (under 0.5 g/L residual sugar)
- Acidity: fresh, keeping the fruit lively
- Tannin: supple and fine-grained
- Oak: 12 months in French oak barriques (22% new), which adds cedar and a gentle smoky note
- Style: rich, savoury, Merlot-led blend
Food to enjoy this with
- Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with rosemary and garlic
- Braised beef cheeks or a slow-cooked beef ragu
- Rich pasta dishes, such as pappardelle with mushroom and beef
- Roast venison with a red wine jus
- Hard aged cheeses, such as aged Gouda or Parmigiano Reggiano
- Something unexpected: black olive tapenade on toasted sourdough. The olive and tobacco notes in the wine pick up the tapenade, and the fruit softens its salty bite.
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.
Te Kahu is a vineyard blend, drawn from several blocks across the Gimblett Gravels Vineyard. The silty soils give higher-toned red fruit, while the stonier blocks give darker, black fruit, and blending the two builds the wine's depth.
For the 2024 vintage, each parcel was hand-harvested and made separately in closed-top fermenters at moderate temperatures, using a gentle, low-extraction approach. The wine spent an average of 21 days on skins before pressing, then 12 months in French oak barriques (22% new). After blending it rested for a further 6 months before it was fined, filtered and bottled in November 2025.
About the vintage
Craggy Range call 2024 an "iconic season" for Hawke's Bay. A cool, late winter delayed bud burst and kept yields low, and a warm, dry summer then gave the grapes a long time on the vine to ripen fully.
Critic scores and ratings
- 95 POINTS – James Suckling – JamesSuckling.com
"Aromas of blackberries, smoke, dried flowers, nuts and a touch of earth. The palate is medium-bodied with nerve, precise tannins that add precision, focused dark fruit and a savoury note in the finish. This is very balanced and should evolve nicely. Drink now or hold."
- 94 POINTS – Ken Gargett – Winepilot.com, April 2026
"The name is Maori for ‘cloak’, referring to the mist which can occasionally be found covering the Giants Estate Winery in the Tukituki Valley (if the name rings a bell, the Tukituki River is famous for big trout, a fly fisherman’s nirvana). The blend for this Gimblett Gravels wine is 49% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. The colour is a mix of bruised plum and mauve. The wine is finely crafted, offering great intensity and impressive balance. Still youthful, it is concentrated, has a supple texture and provides serious length, finishing with sleek tannins. The aromas weave through notes of mulberries, blackberries, coffee beans and chocolate. A really good example of a Bordeaux Blend from this wonderful region in New Zealand. Enjoy it over the next 8 to 12 years."
- 93 POINTS – Stephen Wong MW – The Real Review, May 2026
"Deep ruby-crimson. This young and concentrated wine opens with air to reveal ripe plum and blackcurrant with lifted dark floral aromas and a hint of smoky oak. The palate is densely fruity with flavours ranging from red date and blackberry to cassia, thyme, milk chocolate and licorice. The mid-weight, round tannins are nicely submerged, providing a refreshing crunch and architecture to accompany the acidity. Perhaps not the depth and length for extended ageing but it will provide delicious drinking right away and gain elegance over the next few years." Listed as a Top Value NZ wine.
- 93 POINTS – Cameron Douglas MS – camdouglasms.com, March 2026
"Great colour with a lovely concentration and depth, ripeness and aromatic impact. Flavours of dark plums and tobacco, blackberries and clay, dried herbs and stone, violets and smoky wood tones. A firm and dry wine with texture impacts from the tannins and acidity framing the core of red berry fruits, boysenberry and fruit compote qualities. Balanced and well made, youthful and lengthy with best drinking from day of purchase through 2033." Rated "Excellent".
When to drink it
It drinks well now, and it rewards being decanted for an hour or so before serving. Craggy Range recommends cellaring this for up to 15 years from vintage, while Cameron Douglas MS gives a window from purchase through to 2033. Serve it at 16–18°C.
Technical details
| Winery: |
Craggy Range |
| Wine: |
Te Kahu, Gimblett Gravels Vineyard |
| Vintage: |
2024 |
| Variety: |
49% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec |
| Region: |
Gimblett Gravels, Hawke's Bay |
| Country: |
New Zealand |
| Alcohol: |
13.5% |
| Oak: |
12 months in French oak barriques (22% new) |
| Fermentation: |
Closed-top fermenters, average 21 days on skins |
| Closure: |
Screwcap |
| Cellaring: |
Up to 15 years from vintage |
| Serving temperature: |
16–18°C |
Where to buy
For international delivery to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, the Craggy Range 'Te Kahu' Gimblett Gravels 2024 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
What grapes are in Craggy Range Te Kahu 2024?
The 2024 Te Kahu is 49% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. All the fruit comes from Craggy Range's Gimblett Gravels Vineyard in Hawke's Bay.
What does Te Kahu mean?
Te Kahu is Māori for "the cloak". It refers to the mist that sometimes covers Craggy Range's Giants Winery in the Tukituki Valley, Hawke's Bay.
Should I decant Craggy Range Te Kahu 2024?
Yes. Craggy Range recommend decanting it, as air helps the savoury and smoky layers come through.
How long can I cellar Craggy Range Te Kahu 2024?
Craggy Range say it can be enjoyed now or cellared for up to 15 years from vintage. Cameron Douglas MS suggests drinking it through to 2033.
Is Craggy Range Te Kahu 2024 oaked?
Yes. It spent 12 months in French oak barriques, 22% of them new, and has 13.5% alcohol.
Where can I buy Craggy Range 'Te Kahu' Gimblett Gravels 2024?
The Winery ships Craggy Range 'Te Kahu' Gimblett Gravels 2024 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.
