Craven Wines

South Africa

Jan 25

newlands 1.jpg — **Craven Wines**

**Stellenbosch, South Africa**

A global affair, husband and wife team Mick (Aussie) and Jeanine (South African) met while working at a winery in Sonoma before returning to Stellenbosch to source fruit for their natural wines. They make only single vineyard, single variety wines, highlighting different terroirs around Stellenbosch.

"We chose South Africa, as we think there is a lot of potential here to make amazing wines. We live in Stellenbosch and our hearts are here in this town, which is why we only make wines from the Stellenbosch region as we want to be within a heartbeat of the vines. We want to make wines which are interesting, both stylistically and by varietal, but also wines which have a sense of place and express where they come from. We have isolated particular vineyard sites, for their unique soils and micro-climates, where we work with the growers to ensure that we get the best results from the particular sites. All our wines will come from single vineyards around Stellenbosch." - Mick Craven

AVAILABLE WINES

Featured

Pinot Noir Ann Faure

from CA$28.00

Craven Wines

Craven Wines
Pinot Noir Ann Faure

The Ann Faure range allows the Cravens to explore different sites, and different grapes. The name is an ode to Jeanine’s family heritage of farming and also the middle names of Jeanine and Mick’s children. As with all their wines, this was native fermented, without any additions, and with full MLF. The 2025 Pinot Noir comes from the upper slopes of the Floor ward in Stellenbosch, and 12 year old vines of clone 777. The destemmed fruit was fermented in concrete over 7 days, then pressed of into a mix of stainless and concrete to rest.

Pouring a light hue, this crunchy and pretty Pinot is bright with cranberry acidity, and wrapped with lithe tannins. Enjoy with a slight chill. 12%

Read about Craven Wines here.

Vintage: 2025
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 12
Price per Bottle: $28
Style: Still

Region: Western Cape
Appellation: WO Stellenbosch
Country: South Africa

Grape: Pinot Noir
Colour: Red
Vegan: Yes
Organic: Yes
Biodynamic: No
Natural: Yes
Low Intervention: Yes

Syrah The Firs Vineyard

from CA$42.00

Craven Wines

Craven Wines
Syrah The Firs Vineyard

From Stellenbosch's Devon Valley, and its iron rich clay soils at 300m, this clone S22 syrah was planted in 2002. Unlike Jeanine and Mick's other reds, syrah is always entirely whole bunch. This rested with skins for 9 days, before moving into open top stainless bins for foot trodding and native ferment. It then spends 10ish months in concrete.

Perfumed blackberry, boysenberry, dark violets course through this darker shaded, though medium bodied syrah, with firm tannins pinning in the sides, and the clay soils and 2024 vintage adding a shade more heft to the core. Cracked peppercorn linger on the stony finish, welcoming partnering with herb-decked lamb.

"Grapes from Devon Valley. 100% whole-bunch fermentation in stainless steel tank before maturation in concrete. Alluring aromatics of violets, black berries, a pleasant leafy note and pepper. The palate is beautifully sappy and harmonious – excellent fruit concentration and bright acidity before appropriately firm tannins, the finish super-dry and persistent. Best release yet. Alc: 13%.” 96 points, Christian Eedes, WineMag,

Read about Craven Wines here.

Vintage: 2024
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 6
Price per Bottle: $42
Style: Still

Region: Western Cape
Appellation: WO Stellenbosch
Country: South Africa

Grape: Syrah
Colour: Red
Vegan: Yes
Organic: Yes
Biodynamic: No
Natural: Yes
Low Intervention: Yes

Cinsault

from CA$40.00

Craven Wines

Craven Wines
Cinsault

From 32 year old dry farmed bush vines on decomposed granites and silica sands of Stelly's Rustenhof vineyard, this is one of the Bredall family farms that the Cravens started using in 2017. They share the site with Bernard Bredall and his striking Scions of Sinai label. Rustenhof is one of the region's most coastal vineyards, and you feel it in the freshness of this lifted cinsault. Destemmed and whole berry, with 6 days on skins, this was native fermented and rested in concrete, where it remained until bottling.

Wild plum, cherry, boysenberry is scented with scrubby resinous herbs and mustard seed on the lifted palate, its svelte body framed with long, fine tannins that finish with pink peppercorn and crushed stones. A charmer.

"From Firgrove. Fermented and matured for six months in concrete tanks. The nose is still precociously primary at this stage with notes of floral perfume and cherry. The palate is well balanced, juicy and rounded with bright acidity and powdery tannins. Plenty of open, easy charm. Alc: 12.01%.” 92 points, Christian Eedes, WineMag

Read about Craven Wines here.

Vintage: 2025
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 6
Price per Bottle: $40
Style: Still

Region: Western Cape
Appellation: WO Stellenbosch
Country: South Africa

Grape: Syrah
Colour: Red
Vegan: Yes
Organic: Yes
Biodynamic: No
Natural: Yes
Low Intervention: Yes

Pinot Gris

from CA$37.00

Craven Wines

Craven Wines
Pinot Gris

From Stellenbosch's Newlands Vineyard and its heavy iron-rich koffeklip soils, these pinot gris vines are 20 years old, facing east. It's rare enough to find PG in ZA, and unheard of to find one as memorable as this. The 2024 was picked over two tries, and after destemming, had 6 days skin contact (until it goes dry) in concrete before being pressed and racked back into concrete for 5 months.

Pouring a pretty cherry / salmon hue, this textural wine is woven with wild orange, pink grapefruit, bergamot, and flake salts along a long, saline palate, finishing with a kiss of fresh tobacco. Not crazy acidity, but it's not missed with everything else going on. A lovely food wine, especially for umami-rich dishes. 13000 bottles produced.

"From a Polkadraai Hills vineyard. Six days of skin contact (slightly less than usual) before maturation lasting seven months in concrete tank. Pale red in colour. Rose, musk, spice, raspberry and orange on the nose while the palate has more grunt than usual without being inelegant – dense and pleasantly creamy in texture, bright acidity lending verve, the finish gently savoury. Alc: 12.9%.” - 93 points, Christian Eedes, WineMag

Read about Craven Wines here.

Vintage: 2024
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 6
Price per Bottle: $37
Style: Still

Region: Western Cape
Appellation: WO Stellenbosch
Country: South Africa

Grape: Pinot Gris
Colour: Orange
Vegan: Yes
Organic: Yes
Biodynamic: No
Natural: Yes
Low Intervention: Yes

Chenin Blanc Keribib Vineyard

from CA$40.00

Craven Wines

Craven Wines
Chenin Blanc Keribib Vineyard

From 40+ year old, organically farmed radial bush vines on the weathered granite soils of Polkadraai’s Karibib Vineyard, at 300m, this was whole bunch pressed, native fermented, and left on lees 4 months until racking. In all it spent 9 months in concrete, a shift that has focused and textured this already impressive wine.

Focused and stony, with wild lemon, fragrant apricot skin and crisp green apple, with a lovely shimmering texture illuminating this from beneath and propelling it long on the saline palate.

"From Polkadraai Hills planted in 1981. Fermented and matured for nine months in concrete tanks. Subtle aromatics of quince, peach and yellow apple with a faint earthy note. The palate shows good weight and texture without undue force, the acidity well integrated, the finish possessing a pleasing piquancy. Alc: 12.64%.” 92 points, Christian Eedes, WineMag

Read about Craven Wines here.

Vintage: 2025
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 6
Price per Bottle: $40
Style: Still

Region: Western Cape
Appellation: WO Stellenbosch
Country: South Africa

Grape: Chenin Blanc
Colour: White
Vegan: Yes
Organic: Yes
Biodynamic: No
Natural: Yes
Low Intervention: Yes

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Cabernet Sauvignon

from CA$45.00

Craven Wines

Craven Wines
Cabernet Sauvignon

From west-facing 1999 planted vines on Polkadraai's Karibib Vineyard's decomposed granites, this was early picked and 70% whole cluster, fermented native and on skins for a short time before moving into neutral French barrel. This opens into black cherry, wild raspberry, thorns, dusty graphite, seasoned with wild mint and scrubby wild herbs, all around a pure black cherry core. Tannins are characteristically granitic grippy and finely structural, and acidity is easily capable of carrying this to a lingering slate finish. Finesse and structure = a rare combo.

"Grapes again from Karibib in the Polkadraai Hills, winemaking involved two-thirds whole-bunch fermentation as opposed to previous vintages where this technique was applied entirely and that much less angular as a result. The nose charms with notes of red and black berries, crushed leaves and a hint of violets. The palate is medium bodied with good fruit expression, fresh acidity and nicely grippy tannins." - 93 points, Christian Eedes, WineMag.co.za, March 17, 2022.

Read about Craven Wines here.

Vintage: 2021
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 6
Price per Bottle: $45
Style: Still

Region: Western Cape
Appellation: WO Stellenbosch
Country: South Africa

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Colour: Red
Vegan: Yes
Organic: Yes
Biodynamic: No
Natural: Yes
Low Intervention: Yes

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Chardonnay

from CA$35.00

Craven Wines

Craven Wines
Chardonnay

From Danie Carinus' Bluegum Grove Vineyard in the Polkadraai Hills, this chardonnay was planted in 2005 on super sandy granitic soils (like a beach). This was whole cluster pressed and native fermented in neutral 500L barrels for MLF and 8 months' rest. Savoury and stony, with yellow plum, young quince, lemon blossom, unbuttered popcorn, and a saline wash on the humming finish. Lovely, pure view of Stelly Chardonnay.

Read about Craven Wines here.

Vintage: 2020
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 6
Price per Bottle: $35
Style: Still

Region: Western Cape
Appellation: WO Stellenbosch
Country: South Africa

Grape: Chardonnay
Colour: White
Vegan: Yes
Organic: Yes
Biodynamic: No
Natural: Yes
Low Intervention: Yes

Address: Stellenbosch, South Africa

Website : https://cravenwines.com

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