ON THE NOSE:
Nice typical PN nose with some rotting-log aroma but also a lot of tangerine notes mixed with sea-air and a hint of diesel fuel.
ON THE PALATE:
Again, a classic PN palate with the tangerine flavors coming through strong, though not as much earth as we like in PN. This wine has a wonderful structure with somewhat unusual tannins in the rounded, if a bit watery, mouthfeel. Perfect acidity balances the tannins and the finish is moderately long with, again, that orange/tangerine flavor lingering and lasting. For the money this is a very nice PN and worth seeking out. It is classic New Zealand PN with the citrus and earth, and that diesely, minerally flavor as well. More earth would have been nice, but all in all a good effort, and easily as good as most California and Burgundy Pinots. Kudos.
(Click here for an explanation of our ratings ...)
Our Rating: 88
Would we drink it again? 
Sure, absolutely! This was a peasant bottle to drink on a warm summer evening.
Would we buy it again?
At this price-point this is a definite value, especially compared to the California and Oregon offerings, making this bottle a "reach-for" grovcery store wine that Darcey and I will most certainly buy again.
Winemaker's notes
These grapes are from various vineyards in Marlborough . The grapes were all machine harvested, de-stemmed, must chilled to tank and cold macerated for three days. A small portion of the wine was fermented wild and the balance with high quality yeast.
Kim Crawford Wines was conceptualised over a glass of wine and founded because of a couple of babies. The glass of wine was in London, the night big and the company good. Kim and Erica Crawford and David Gleave MW pondered wine styles of the world with youthful self-righteousness and decided the world needed a clean, top quality, fruit driven Chardonnay devoid of the heavy oak used at the time. The two babies who arrived shortly after propelled Kim and Erica to realise the notion and Kim Crawford Wines was established in 1996. Four thousand cases of wine were produced.
The fledgling company was one of New Zealand’s first “virtual wineries”: grapes were sourced from growers, the wine was made at other wineries and sales, marketing and admin managed from their central Auckland home. They had no name to call it by: no vineyards, roads or peaks, so they simply called it Kim Crawford Wines. Sauvignon Blanc, Unoaked Chardonnay, Tietjen Gisborne Chardonnay and Semillon, with Riesling added to the portfolio the following year.
The first shipment was sent to the UK, but David Gleave had left the company he was with and the Crawfords were stuck with half the production in Auckland. They approached Joe Jakecevich at Hancocks in Auckland, New Zealand: the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship for both parties was born.
In 1998 the company started exporting small amounts to the US, Canada and Australia. Rebekah Andrae joined the company to manage admin one day a week, she is still there today as a vital and key staff member.
The Kim Crawford label now needed a face, a place to visit and to taste wine, something which could not be done at an inner city home filled with toddler’s toys. In 1999, the Crawfords were able to build a beautiful tasting room and cellar door facility at the coastal settlement of Te Awanga in Hawke’s Bay. They did this with the help of a group of prominent Hawke’s Bay grape growers headed by Jim Scotland.
In the beginning of 2000, a state of the art winery was opened in Marlborough. The winery has enabled Kim to pick grapes at optimum ripeness without restriction of processing facilities, contributing significantly to improved wine quality. About the same time, the Crawfords bought vineyard land to secure grape supply as world-wide demand for Marlborough wines soared.
Along with serious winemaking and good wine, the intention to have fun, explore new boundaries and stay in touch with their wine consumers has always been of the utmost importance. There is a widely held belief at this winery that a happy working environment is transferred to the bottle ... you can almost taste it! One industry observer comments: “They are a formidable pair, Kim’s skill is inside the bottle in the wine, Erica’s is on the outside in brand image and marketing.”
About the Marlborough, New Zealand Region
Marlborough is at the top of the South Island, and can be easily reached by air or ferry from Wellington. The city of Blenheim is at the region’s heart, and is just a short 20 minute drive from the breathtaking beaty of the Marlborough Sounds. Over the hills and to the south are the Awatere Valley and the seaside town of Kaikoura.
Marlborough is New Zealand’s largest wine growing region. It has an enviable international reputation for producing the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world. It also makes very good Chardonnay and Riesling and is fast developing a reputation for high quality Pinot Noir. Of the region's ten thousand hectares of grapes (almost half the national crop) one third are planted in Sauvignon Blanc.
Lots of sun, cool nights, low autumn rains and free draining alluvial soils combine to make Marlborough one of the world’s great wine producing regions. Most wineries can be reached after an easy drive from Blenheim, although the radius of land under cultivation is rapidly spreading. To do the region justice, you should allow at least two days for your visit.
