Craven Wines

South Africa
Written By Expert Marketeers
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Craven Wines

Stellenbosch, South Africa

 
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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
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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 16 years old, facing east. It's rare enough to find PG in ZA, and unheard of to find one as memorable as this. After destemming, this had 6-7 days skin contact (until it goes dry) before being pressed and racked into concrete where it remained for 9 months. More a light red than a rosé even, this textural PG teems with smoked stone, tea leaves, bergamot and roiboos, cored with ripe pear, and lingering with flake salts.

"The 2023 Pinot Gris looks like a Rosé (as usual). Fermented and aged in concrete tanks, it’s quite fragrant on the nose, offering red cherries and light orange blossom scents. The palate is taut and fresh with orange rind and red cherries again, a crisp line of acidity, and a dab of stem ginger on the finish. Delightful. Drink 2024-2028." - 90 points, Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2024.

Read about Craven Wines here.

Vintage: 2023
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

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Chenin Blanc Keribib Vineyard
from CA$39.00

Craven Wines

Craven Wines
Chenin Blanc Keribib Vineyard

This is the first year the Karibib Chenin is entirely in concrete, a move that Mick and Jeanine Craven have been moving towards these past few years. 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 until racking (around 10 months total).

The concrete has laser focused this already impressive wine, yielding a textural, long, savoury chenin, layered with crushed granite, pear skin, flake salts, and lemon pith. This has ample energy and tension, strung long with buzzy acidity, and finishing with lingering salinity. Really impressive now, and will cellar without question.

"The 2023 Chenin Blanc comes from a parcel next to Reyneke in the Karibi Vineyard and was aged entirely in concrete. This has a more complex and vibrant nose than the Chardonnay, revealing yellow fruit mixed with a nutty, slightly smoky scent. The palate is very well balanced with a citrus-fresh entry and a very subtle flor-like finish that comes through more clearly on the aftertaste. Superb. Drink 2024-2032.” - 92 points, Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2024.

Read about Craven Wines here.

Vintage: 2023
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 6
Price per Bottle: $39
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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Syrah The Firs Vineyard
from CA$45.00

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 old 500L barrels (soon to be concrete). Wild black raspberry, dusky black plum, medicinal black cherry is woven with cracked pepper, and wrapped with finely sticky tannins through a saline washed finish. Somewhat an outsider in their portfolio, yet feels entirely Craven. Looking forward to seeing what the concrete adds to this in future.

“From a Devon Valley vineyard on clay-rich soils. 100% whole-bunch fermentation. The nose is wild and arresting with notes of red and black berries, lilies, pepper, fynbos and earth while the palate has good fruit density, lively acidity and rather severe tannins. This is intensely flavoured and has plenty of crunch but needs a year or so to settle down.” - 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: Syrah
Colour: Red
Vegan: Yes
Organic: Yes
Biodynamic: No
Natural: Yes
Low Intervention: Yes

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Cinsault
from CA$43.00

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 Sons of Sugarland label. Rustenhof is one of the region's most coastal vineyards, and you feel it in the freshness of this lifted cinsault. 2022 is the second time this wine was aged entirely in concrete, a move Mick and Jeanine have been moving towards for some time. Destemmed and whole berry, this was native fermented and rested in concrete, where it remained until bottling. Wild cherry, wild raspberry, mustard seed flood this lighter red, lit with crunchy acidity, scented with fynbos and white pepper, and framed with finely sticky tannins through a buzzy, medicinal kissed finish. Beauty energy and texture, this is most obviously a grape very well suited to concrete. Drinking beauty now.

“Grapes from a Faure vineyard on granite. Maturation as above. The nose shows some floral perfume before cherry and plum plus subtle notes of earth and spice. Pure fruit, snappy acidity and chalky tannins, the finish nicely dry. Not without density although alcohol is just 12%.” - 92 points, Christian Eedes, WineMag.co.za, October 21, 2022.

"From a vineyard planted just 3km from False Bay, sea breezes and wild flowers open this wine. Grapes are 100% destemmed so as not to distract from the wine's pristine nature (and to keep acidity intact), then fermentation and ageing in concrete allows sour cherries, blood oranges and redcurrants to shine. Bone dry with super-fine chalky tannins, the texture acts as ballast for all this purity and detail on the delicate palate.” - 92 points, Malu Lambert, Decanter, July 31, 2023.

Read about Craven Wines here.

Vintage: 2022
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 6
Price per Bottle: $43
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

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Chardonnay
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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

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Address:  Stellenbosch, South Africa

Website : https://cravenwines.com

 

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