Mick and Jeanine Craven, the passionate pair behind Craven Wines, began their winemaking journey in 2013 with a clear vision: to capture the essence of Stellenbosch.
The Cravens work exclusively within the Stellenbosch WO, working with a select group of grape growers and making a set of single vineyard wines in such a way as to “let the grapes do the talking” as Mick puts it.
Everything the Cravens do has a transparency and purity to it. No smoke nor mirrors.
They focus on making small batches and only sourcing grapes from single vineyards to let each unique terroir speak for itself.
Each year, the Cravens time their releases to the seasons, with the Pinot Gris and Cinsaut usually ready to enjoy by summer. The Chardonnay, Syrah, Chenin Blanc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, however, need a bit more time in the bottle to reach their full potential, so they will be released next year.
Craven’s Pinot Gris has become an iconic South African skin contact wine, frequently gracing the pairing menus of fine-dining restaurants and wine bars.Â
This continues to be the Cravens’ most iconic wine. As the vineyard ages the wine continues to become more exotic, floral and aromatic. The winemaking techniques have been refined over time, only six days of skin contact for the 2024 vintage, in order to exhibit increased weight and texture on the palate with no loss of freshness or vitality, .
“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. 93/100.”
100% Cinsaut from a single vineyard in Stellenbosch. The fruit is de-stemmed and fermented on skins for 7-10 days and aged in concrete until bottling after 9 months.
“From two Helderberg vineyards, one planted in 1978 and the other in 1988. The nose shows red and black cherry, maybe some plum, potpourri, earth and spice. Good fruit concentration, snappy acidity and powdery tannins. Intensely flavoured and well balanced, this is substantial without sacrificing vitality. 93/100”
Craven Summer Release 2024
Mick and Jeanine Craven, the passionate pair behind Craven Wines, began their winemaking journey in 2013 with a clear vision: to capture the essence of Stellenbosch.
The Cravens work exclusively within the Stellenbosch WO, working with a select group of grape growers and making a set of single vineyard wines in such a way as to “let the grapes do the talking” as Mick puts it.
Everything the Cravens do has a transparency and purity to it. No smoke nor mirrors.
They focus on making small batches and only sourcing grapes from single vineyards to let each unique terroir speak for itself.
Each year, the Cravens time their releases to the seasons, with the Pinot Gris and Cinsaut usually ready to enjoy by summer. The Chardonnay, Syrah, Chenin Blanc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, however, need a bit more time in the bottle to reach their full potential, so they will be released next year.
Craven’s Pinot Gris has become an iconic South African skin contact wine, frequently gracing the pairing menus of fine-dining restaurants and wine bars.Â
The Wines:
R245.00Add to basket
Craven Pinot Gris 2024
This continues to be the Cravens’ most iconic wine. As the vineyard ages the wine continues to become more exotic, floral and aromatic. The winemaking techniques have been refined over time, only six days of skin contact for the 2024 vintage, in order to exhibit increased weight and texture on the palate with no loss of freshness or vitality, .
“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. 93/100.”
Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za
R245.00Add to basket
Craven Cinsaut 2024
100% Cinsaut from a single vineyard in Stellenbosch. The fruit is de-stemmed and fermented on skins for 7-10 days and aged in concrete until bottling after 9 months.
“From two Helderberg vineyards, one planted in 1978 and the other in 1988. The nose shows red and black cherry, maybe some plum, potpourri, earth and spice. Good fruit concentration, snappy acidity and powdery tannins. Intensely flavoured and well balanced, this is substantial without sacrificing vitality. 93/100”
Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za
R1,470.00Original price was: R1,470.00.R1,396.50Current price is: R1,396.50.Add to basketCraven Summer Mixed Case 2024
This mixed case includes:
3 Bottles of Craven Pinot Gris 2024
3 Bottles of Craven Cinsaut 2024Â
+ 5% Discount
READ MORE ABOUT CRAVEN WINES