The Te Muna Road Vineyard in Martinborough, New Zealand. Image courtesy Craggy Range

New Zealand’s Craggy Range Winery has earned the highest rank of any New Zealand or Australian wine in this year’s Wine Spectator list of the Top 100 Wines. The Craggy Range 2023 Te Muna, Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc ranked at number 11 on the list, just shy of the top ten and one place above the second-highest Australian or New Zealand entry: the Penfolds Cabernet-Shiraz Bin 389 from South Australia, which ranked at number 12.

The annual Top 100 list, which has been published since 1988, celebrates wines that demonstrate exceptional quality, value, and availability, embodying what the publication’s editors call the “X-factor”.

“The inclusion of our Te Muna Sauvignon Blanc in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 is a testament to our team’s dedication to expressing the unique character of our Martinborough terroir,” said Craggy Range’s newly-appointed executive director, David Peabody.

“Our Sauvignon Blanc showcases the remarkable complexity born from the unique, rugged terroir of our Te Muna Road Vineyard. The combination of stony soils and cool sunny days gives us the distinctive minerality, along with the brisk howling winds that thicken the grape skins, resulting in an unparalleled depth of flavour.”

Founded in 1998 by Terry and Mary Peabody, Craggy Range is governed under a 1000-year family trust that the winery said ensures ‘a long-term perspective’ and instils a culture of stewardship. The Te Muna Road Vineyard, the source of this Sauvignon Blanc, was specifically chosen for its unique soil composition and cool climate, contributing to the wine’s distinctive mineral character and aging potential.

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