Matured 40% in new French barriques with 10 months on lees, the 2008 Zebra Station Pinot Noir has a taut, crisp nose of raspberry coulis, dark cherry and a touch of leafiness. The palate is medium-bodied with pointed tannins on the entry. It shows just a little hardness that will hopefully soften with bottle age, though I found a nagging dryness on the finish. Drink now-2015. The wines from Craggy Range were tasted both in Hawkes Bay in January 2010 and then in London six months later. Steve Smith, Rod Easthope and the team continue to furnish consumers with a wide portfolio of terroir-based wines that satisfy both the value and prestige end of the market. Having tasted many of their wines, there is no doubt that they have ‘toned down’ their style, the initial releases being rather hubristic and a tad top-heavy with oak. This sense of refinement has lent the wines greater poise and breeding. Their reds are still their strongest suit, in particular their flagship labels such as ‘Le Sol’ and ‘Sophia’, but do not overlook their Chardonnays that exude great purity and Burgundian poise. Meanwhile their ‘Wild Rock’ entry-level range, which is treated as a completely separate entity to Craggy Range, contains some delightful varietals that form a neat introduction to the delights of Hawkes Bay’s wines.Importer: Kobrand Corp., New York, NY; tel. (212) 490-9300.

The 2007 Zebra Vineyard Pinot Noir has developed nicely since bottling, the nose introspective with dark cherries, plum and gravel, all well defined. The palate is medium-bodied, slightly chewy tannin and good acidity. Lovely balance - real tension here with a crisp plum and mulberry imbued finish. This has certainly coalesced since last year. Excellent. Craggy Range continue to press forward with their ambitious plans and are rapidly becoming one of the most familiar New Zealand producers both at an entry-level, having successfully penetrated the competitive supermarket shelves in the UK, but also winning plaudits for their array of flagship bottlings such as Le Sol, Sophia and The Quarry. I concentrated on new releases but re-tasted some of the Pinot Noirs that I felt have improved significantly.Importer: Kobrand Corporation, Purchase, NY; tel. (914) 253-7700