Wednesday 15th June, Bordeaux, France – In a first for New Zealand wine, Craggy Range will be featured in the September release for the famous Bordeaux Negociant network La Place de Bordeaux.
The complex distribution network that comprises La Place has brought Bordeaux’s most famous wines to the world since the 17th century. The historic network first opened its doors to the wines of the New World with Almaviva in 1996 and Opus One in 2004, as both wines were in partnership with Chateau Mouton Rothschild.
Since then, La Place has begun to offer the world’s most prestigious wines from Italy, the USA, South America, and other famed regions within France. The 2020 vintage of Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah and Craggy Range Aroha Pinot Noir will join the ranks of some of the world’s most renowned wines.
Craggy Range will be represented on La Place by two of the oldest and most respected negociants for the September Releases – CVBG and Mahler Besse in both Europe and Asia.
According to David T. Peabody, Grandson of the owner and Marketing Manager at Craggy Range, “La Place makes sense for Craggy as it expands our distribution reach within the world of Fine Wine. While this is great for Craggy, it will also reinforce the idea that New Zealand does have a place in the world of Fine Wine, especially for Pinot Noir. Hopefully, this will encourage International Negociants to look at New Zealand Fine Wine more seriously.
“We believe our two great estates, our Gimblett Gravels Vineyard (Hawke’s Bay) and our Te Muna Road Vineyard (Martinborough), produce world-class Syrah and Pinot Noir, respectively. The fact that the response from the Negociant network within La Place has been so strong is a wonderful acknowledgement of that”.
According to Master of Wine Andrew Caillard MW, “La Place provides access to the world’s greatest wines, from Chateau Lafite to Le Pin, Cheval Blanc to Ornellaia, Super Tuscans to the renowned wines of the Napa Valley. And now, Craggy Range. This is a great opportunity for New Zealand to build their presence in the Fine Wine world”.
Tom Portet & Emma Thienpont of International First Growths commented, “We approached Craggy Range due to the quality of their wines, but also their international relevance. Very few brands from the new world have the presence in major markets that Craggy do. The growth in demand for international wines has been extraordinary, so the time is right to bring NZ into the mix”.
About Craggy Range
Craggy Range is focused on becoming one of New Zealand’s great wine producers and a producer that can comfortably sit alongside the great wineries of the world.
Founded by the Peabody Family in 1998, the winery has focused on producing wines that are expressive of their place across its two great estates in Hawke’s Bay and Martinborough. The winery has a core focus on quality & sustainability.
About La Place de Bordeaux & International First Growths
While in the 17th century, La Place was the market where wine was traded, today, La Place de Bordeaux is a complex distribution network of negociants, courtiers & chateaux.
Historically this was only elite Bordeaux Chateaux but now increasingly also the top fine wines from around the world.
International First Growths is a courtier founded by Tom Portet and Emma Thienpont, both of whom have a strong historical connection to Bordeaux. Their purpose is to find and promote the world’s finest wines in the highly specialised ultra-premium international marketplace of La Place de Bordeaux.
These highly reputable wines already have a track record of performance in primary and secondary wine markets – built on authenticity, heritage, qualitative character, regional identity and longevity.
