Linden Estate Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Franc 2022 $36 
Meeting Alex Hendry, Linden’s winemaker, is like meeting an elf-warrior who also happens to be a Mohican punk god that can conjure up magical Merlot-based blends that’ll drag you into his very tasty cult before you can scream “God Save The Queen!” Google him, click ‘images’ and you’ll see what I mean. The Cabernet Franc injects bright blueberry and blackcurrant characters into the plummy concentration that Merlot brings, meaning it finishes with lifted pepper, leather, graphite-like goodness, earthy spices and dusty goodness for days. Meatloaf? Magic!
