Eaton Marlborough Merlot Malbec Cabernet 2014 $48 Straight out, I’ll say this 85/10/5 blend (created by Mike Eaton) may need decanting as it’s un-fined and unfiltered and natural sediment and tartrate crystals (or ‘wine diamonds’) may appear. This means all the natural anise, blueberry, pine needle, white pepper, sweet vanilla and smoke notes shine through. … Read More
merlot
Flying Sheep Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Flying Sheep Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 $35 Flying Sheep is Osawa Wines little brother brand and is named after (supposedly) a reference early Hawke’s Bay settlers had for the fluffy clouds that glided across the regions’ vast blue skies. From fruit grown in some of the oldest soils on the Heretaunga Plains, comes … Read More
Ash Ridge Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2018
Ash Ridge Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2018 $22 Reviewed for dish Magazine July/Aug 2020 – Paired with Lamb Shank Pie Combining two of my absolute favourite things, lamb shanks and pies, this meal is given a leg up (shank, leg, ahem) by the delicious Ash Ridge Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2018 ($22). With its vibrant, plummy perfume, … Read More
Stonecroft Undressed Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2019
Stonecroft Undressed Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2019 $31 I love how exotically perfumed this organically-grown Gimblett Gravels merlot is, and the fact that it’s made with no added sulphites (hence the ‘undressed’) – so I’m loving what it has, and what it hasn’t. Perky plum, pepper and pomegranate layers set the pace for boatloads of berries … Read More
Petane Station Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Franc 2018
Petane Station Hawke’s Bay Merlot Franc 2018 $30 Well kachango my mango, if this merlot blend isn’t by far the most saucy, seductively-spicy, fruit-soaked thing to sniff and sip, then I’ll be a cross-eyed coyote. I also need to stop watching so many spaghetti Westerns on Netflix. Ahem. In all seriousness however, this wine is … Read More
Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot 2018
Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot 2018 $24.95 Right from the very first sip you’ll understand how this wine scooped a gold medal at the 2019 NZ Wine of the Year Awards and why it’s been the darling of wine critics around the traps. 68% cabernet sauvignon was blended with 32% merlot, fermented and … Read More
Brookfields Reserve Vintage 2019 Cabernet Merlot 2015
Steak sandwiches – paired in dish Summer 2020 If you are paying strict attention to the condition of your steaks for these sandwiches, you’d want to have a darn lovely red wine to nuzzle alongside them, right? That’s where the Brookfields Reserve Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Merlot 2015 ($59) sneaks up and snares you from the … Read More
Redmetal ‘The Merlot’ Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2000
Redmetal ‘The Merlot’ Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2000 $40 (sold out) Closing in on twenty years old, this merlot from the iron-rich, red-metal gravels of Hawke’s Bay’s Bridge Pa Triangle district is heading into its twilight years. I remember tasting this wine WAY back in 2004 and it was just a perky little puppy, it’s feet … Read More
Redmetal Erinview Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Franc 2007
Redmetal Erinview Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Franc 2007 $soldout Twelve years. Twelve years is clearly the magic number for this wine. Crafted by Grant Edmonds from fruit sourced from the long-ago sold Erinview vineyard, this merlot-dominant dominatrix is clad in leather and scented with berries and spice and is long and leggy and darn … Read More
Zaria Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2018
Zaria Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2018 $25 I love how winemaker Bryce Edmonds has such devotion to merlot. He always lets the vintage speak for itself, which is why each new release, to me, is so surprising and interesting. The 2018 is new to the market, but tastes like it’s been in the bottle for years. … Read More