"A soft velvety wine"

Merlot sourced from all of our sites at Gimblett Road have been blended in this wine, giving us a range of fruit flavours. Warm fermentation with regular pumping over facilitates colour and flavour extraction, as well as rounding out the palate.

COLOUR: Deep red

AROMA: Ripe plums and aromatic lift

PALATE: A soft, harmonious Merlot. Vibrant plum and spice characters are supported by subtle oak influences. A soft velvety wine, full of fruit and excellent for current consumption.
 

"A soft, easy drinking style" 

A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the different soil types and vine age that exist in our Gimblett Road vineyards. Warm fermentation along with some barrique maturation delivers good colour, flavour and mouthfeel.

COLOUR: Purple

AROMA: Blackberries and plum

PALATE: Fresh berry flavours combine with spicy fruits, flavoursome and mouthfilling. A soft, easy drinking style, approachable now, which will cellar well for 2 to 3 years.

"Ripe fruits, firm tannins and lovely texture"

Blended across all our Gimblett Road Merlot sites this is a wonderfully fruity, fragrant Merlot. Warm fermentation, regular pumping over and oak maturation have made this supple well textured red wine. Intense and mouthfilling.

COLOUR: Deep purple/red

AROMA: Fragrant fruits and floral notes

PALATE: Ripe fruits, firm tannins and lovely texture is the make up of this Merlot. Fine oak supports intense plum fruits which will age well.
 

"The palate features the same red berry fruits completed by baking spice flavours "

Woodthorpe is an expansive single vineyard on elevated river terraces, angled to the sun. this syrah includes a touch of viognier, a traditional winemaking technique in france’s rhône valley. it introduces a delightful floral aroma and supple texture to syrah’s spicy dark-berry flavours.

Te Mata Estate Woodthorpe Syrah 2010 was hand harvested from our Woodthorpe vineyard between 15 April and 5 May 2010. Fully-ripened syrah was combined with 4% viognier grapes, then destemmed and co-fermented. The resulting wine remained on skins for extended maceration before pressing. It was then run off to a mixture of new and seasoned French oak barrels for 12 months’ maturation, during which time it... Read more »

"luscious ripe black fruits complemented by slightly gamey, spicy, and peppery notes"

"Texturally seductive"

Silver Medal: NZIWS

"The aroma is layered and complex with ripe blackberries, spicy Syrah notes, and savoury complexity. Richly scented and enticing, the aroma promises ripe and concentrated fruit. The palate delivers beautifully on the heady aromas. Deeply flavoured wine with luscious ripe black fruits complemented by slightly gamey, spicy, and peppery notes. Texturally seductive, the wine flows confidently through the palate with supple fine tannins and lingering complex and peppery Syrah aftertaste. Known as Shiraz in Australia, in New... Read more »

"The tannins are thick, fleshy and ripe"

Gold: Royal Easter Show Wine Awards 2008

"Deep red in colour, the aromas exemplify perfectly ripened Merlot with intensely perfumed and brooding dark chocolate, red currants, liquorice and mineral flavours. A concentrated palate unfolds, rich in extract and texture. The tannins are thick, fleshy and ripe. Creamy oak is seamlessly integrated and supportive to the fruit, contributing to the wines complexity and structure."

The Omahu Gravels Vineyard, located in the Gimblett Gravels grape growing region is the most easterly of Villa Maria’s vineyards on the Gravels. A very lean site composed of shale, silt and interspersed loam segments, it is naturally... Read more »

"Lush dark fruits"

Gold: Tri Nations Wine Challenge 2009

Trophy: Decanter World Wine Awards 2009

"Aromas of red and black plums, rich fruitcake and floral violet. Careful blending with a small percentage of Cabernet Franc has introduced some complexing lifted red-liquorice notes. Lush dark fruits, creamy supportive oak and integrated tannins on the palate."

The fruit for this wine was grown entirely on the gravely soils of the Gimblett Gravels growing region in Hawkes Bay. This unique area is recognised for producing consistently high coloured and full flavoured Merlot wines. The Villa Maria Vineyards Ngakirikiri,... Read more »

Gold: Hawkes Bay A&P Mercedes Benz Wine Awards 2010

Gold: Royal Easter Show Wine Awards 2011

5 Stars: Cuisine Magazine 2009

5 Stars: Micheal Cooper

"This stunning Syrah is a blend of fruit from our most premium vineyards in Hawkes Bay’s Gimblett Gravels.Aromas of pepper and liquorice, alongside hints of violets and red berries. Powdery tannins encase concentrated classic Syrah characters on the palate."

The Villa... Read more »

"An impressively fruited and engaging red with bold flavours and a striking palate"

5 Stars: Cuisine Magazine

5 Stars & 93/100: Sam Kim, The Wine Orbit

4 stars: Michael Cooper

"It's deeply coloured and beautifully fragrant on the nose, displaying blueberry, dark plum, floral and spice characters.  The palate is ripe and dense with a rounded mouthfeel and fine chalky tannins providing a lovely dry finish.  An impressively fruited and engaging red with bold flavours and a striking palate.  At its best: now to 2014."  Read more »

"youthful and nicely fruited displaying blue/blackberry, plum and subtle pepper characters"

4 STARS: Sam Kim; The Wine Orbit

The nose is youthful and nicely fruited displaying blue/blackberry, plum and subtle pepper characters. It's well balanced and smooth on the palate with good fruit intensity and fine-grained tannins. Very approachable and supple. At its best: now to 2012.- Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

Deep brooding purple with aromas of white pepper and spice from 100% Hawkes Bay fruit. Succulent and juicy with flavours of dark plum, cherry and a touch of liquorice. What could be better with a fillet of rare beef or lamb than Bloody Bay... Read more »

"This is stylish and very, very good, and full of potential" 

5 Stars & 93/100: Sam Kim, The Wine Orbit

This is stylish and very, very good, and full of potential. The nose is beautifully perfumed displaying dark plum, blueberry, floral and spice characters. The palate is concentrated and velvety showing lovely fruit intensity and density with plenty of supple tannins. The fleshy palate makes this a delightful drink now but will be so much better in a year or two. Sam Kim; The Wine Orbit

30 years ago Matua Valley Wines produced the first New Zealand Sauvignon... Read more »

** Buy a case of Frizzell Wine and go in the draw to win the featured limited edition Dick Frizzell woodcut print valued at $1200 **

"Full, rich and soft with a mouthfilling length and structure"

4.5 Stars (90/100): Sam Kim, Wine Orbit.

4 stars: Raymond Chan, Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

"This is supple, fleshy and immediately appealing. The bouquet is ripe and lifted showing dark plum, floral, spice and a hint of game characters. It's succulent and smooth on the palate with... Read more »

** Freight Free **

"ripe plums combined with mushroom and silky chocolate"

4 Stars (87/100): Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

“It's fleshy and fruity, displaying lovely aromas of dark plum, floral and cedary oak. The palate is ripe and succulent with smooth texture and a gently expansive finish. A soothing Merlot with excellent varietal expression offering brilliant value for money.” Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

A Marlborough Merlot sourced from a selected single vineyard.  The warm site provides perfect conditions for berries with concentrated fruit... Read more »

"dense highly structured Syrah"

Ripe fruit, cold soaking, some whole bunches and warm fermentation are the key components of this Syrah. Oak maturation compliments the pepper and spicy fruits of this distinctive wine style.

COLOUR: Deep purple/red

AROMA: Aromatic and spicy

PALATE: Fragrant aromatic fruit is supported by fine oak. Typical black pepper along with some floral fragrance describes this dense highly structured Syrah.

"Delightful purity of fruit with juicy flavours"

Gold Medal and Trophy: International Wine Challenge 2011

95/100 Points: Bob Campbell MW

5 Stars: Michael Cooper, Listner Magazine 2011

Opaque, vinous and meaty on the nose, ripe fruit with violet, floral intensity on the palate. Delightful purity of fruit with juicy flavours, the tannins are fine and quite fresh on the finish - International Wine Challenge 2011

Fine-boned, perfumed Syrah in an elegant rather than blockbuster (as expected) style. Red fruits, floral... Read more »

"rounded and generous, with lovely fruit richness" 

Te Mata Estate Woodthorpe Merlot/Cabernets ‘09 has a dark ruby colour with aromas of ripe blackberry, blueberry, cedar and spiced fruitcake. The palate is rounded and generous, with lovely fruit richness supported by ripe powdery tannins, giving structure and length to the long finish. Te Mata Estate Woodthorpe Merlot/Cabernets ‘09 is a blend of 46% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Petit Verdot. It is a wonderful accompaniment to savoury red meats dishes and hard white cheeses, and will continue to evolve in bottle for 3-6 years from harvest.

The individual parcels of each variety, from each plot, were destemmed and given a warm, plunged fermentation with extended maceration on skins. The resulting wines... Read more »

"The palate is warm and generous with sweet succulent fruit"

Silver Medal: Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2009

Lifted floral aromas combine with dark berry fruit with a hint of asphalt and tar to give a fragrant and savoury perfume to the wine. The palate is warm and generous with sweet succulent fruit, ripe graphite like tannins and vibrant acidity. Classically styled with the exuberance of the new world this blended red combines all the softness and fragrance of Merlot and Malbec with the savour and cassis of Cabernet franc and the structure and power of Cabernet sauvignon.

After hand harvesting the separate components, each was kept separate in the winery and treated differently according to what each variety... Read more »

"One of New Zealands most prestigious reds"

"One of New Zealands most prestigious reds, with a pedigree stretching back to the early 1980s. Coleraine is a magical wine with an intensity, complexity and subtlety on the level of a top-class Bordeaux" Michael Cooper

"Coleraine and Awatea are bona fide classics." Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Oct 2010

Coleraine is New Zealand's most famous red wine. First produced in 1982, this classic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc displays the concentration, complexity and elegance found in the world's finest wines.

Coleraine ’10 has a youthful dark crimson colour and displays Coleraine’s gorgeous floral aromas, together with macerated blackberries woven with graphite and... Read more »

"pure, powerful, and well balanced"

Awatea ’10 is a dark magenta colour with aromas of fresh blackberry and raspberry infused with rosemary and sandalwood. The palate is pure, powerful, and well balanced, with mineral freshness and fine powdery tannin warmth contributing to its length.

Awatea ’10 is a blend of 42% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot, 12% cabernet franc and 6% petit verdot. It will continue to evolve in bottle, providing great enjoyment up to 10 years from harvest. It is a natural partner for savoury red meat dishes and hard cheeses.

"A savoury and spicy wine"

4.5 Stars (91/100 Points): Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

This is a convincing rendition of a classic Italian grape. Medium-deep red/purple in colour, the nose is a superbly ripe with blue/blackberry, spice, game, and floral characters. It’s well weighted and smooth and excellent fruit intensity and gentle tannins. The wine is youthful at this stage and promising to become a gratifying wine in time. At its best 2012 – 2016. Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

A savoury and spicy wine. Showing aromas and flavours of rich cherry, plum, dark chocolate and tobacco leaf with a long,... Read more »

"Energetic and silken, with the focus firmly on fruit purity"

The first hint is of wild thyme, dried sage and star anise which then opens up to the base notes of dark plum and spicy currants. Paradoxically the medium weight palate is energetic and silken, with the focus firmly on fruit purity. These characters persist on the lithe, balanced and layered palate and finish on the aromatic high notes of spice and herbs.

Food Match: Lamb

Cellaring: 7-10 Years

 ** Buy a case of Frizzell Wine and go in the draw to win the featured limited edition Dick Frizzell woodcut print valued at $1200 ** 

"an attractive and mouthfilling wine"

4 stars (87/100 Points): Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

"It's pristine and youthful on the nose, displaying red cherry, plum and floral with a hint of spice notes. The palate is ripe and smooth with lovely fruit intensity and a lingering juicy finish. A well polished and balanced Syrah, with a potential to develop lovely savoury flavours. At its best: now to 2015." Sam Kim, Wine... Read more »

"Delicious.. Another classic wine that many a wine list will appreciate"

4.5 Stars: Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Feb 2012

"Nose: Toasty raspberry Syrah notes, plums and blackberry aromas, plenty of oak but in balance, dark velvet and red petals, sweet earth quality.
Palate: Delicious! With a strong core of fruit in contrast to a fine, medium tannin structure, medium + acidity, plum, plum jam and blackberry fruits, medium + length, youthful. Another classic wine that many a wine list will appreciate." Camerson Douglas, Master Sommelier, Feb 2012

A gorgeous mix of aromas define the 2009 Celebre, blackcurrant, boysenberry, bay leaf and hints of black olive meld together, with earthy, rich... Read more »

"a gutsy red with a big, warming finish"

5 stars (only 5 star wine IN tasting): Jane Skilton, Food Magazine

4 stars: Winestate Magazine

Silver & Best Buy: World Wine Championships               

"Luxurious, plump and highly aromatic with masses of sweet damson, cedar and dark plum. Rich and textural, this is a gutsy red with a big, warming finish." Jane Skilton, Food Magazine

"Bargain-priced Hawke's Bay red,... Read more »

"An intense well extracted red"

Gold Medal: AWC Vienna International Wine Challenge

91/100 Points: Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

Best Buy: World Championships Chicago

This classic Bordeaux blend thrives at Gimblett Road. Ripe fully flavoured fruit is traditionally warm fermented and then ages in oak for softening, complexing and completing this wine. The strength of the Cabernet is partnered with supple Merlot and fragrant Malbed.

Colour: Deep purple / red

Aroma: Blackcurrant fruit and fine sweet oak.

Palate: An intense well... Read more »

"One of New Zealands most prestigious reds"

"One of New Zealands most prestigious reds, with a pedigree stretching back to the early 1980s. Coleraine is a magical wine with an intensity, complexity and subtlety on the level of a top-class Bordeaux" Michael Cooper

"Coleraine and Awatea are bona fide classics." Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Oct 2010

Coleraine is New Zealand's most famous red wine. First produced in 1982, this classic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc displays the concentration, complexity and elegance found in the world's finest wines.

Coleraine ’10 has a youthful dark crimson colour and displays Coleraine’s gorgeous floral aromas, together with macerated blackberries woven with graphite and... Read more »

"concentrated red fruit flavours, fine tannins and a well-balanced, succulent finish"

4 stars (86/100 Points): Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

Pristine and well fruited, the bouquet shows lifted aromas of red plum, floral and spice. It's juicy and smooth on the palate with appealing berry flavours, finishing supple and silky. A lovely medium-bodied red that shows immediately appealing flavours, and offers excellent value for money. At its best: now to 2013. Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

This wine is produced with top quality grapes from the a number of vineyards in Marlborough. It is medium bodied, smooth and... Read more »

"ripe and bright with smooth texture"

4 stars (87/100 Points): Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

A delightfully fragrant Merlot, the bouquet shows red/black plum, floral, spice and roasted nut characters. The palate is ripe and bright with smooth texture and lovely fruit intensity, finishing long and succulent. At its best: now to 2014.

"An exceptional wine"

4 stars: Bob Campbell MW

"Lovely red berry aromas with a touch of earth. Red fruit is also prominent in the palate where it is accompanied by plums and herbs. The tannins are young and yet well integrated. Drinking well now." TiZwine.com Tasting, Sept 2011

"Full-coloured, with strong blackcurrant and spice flavours, seasoned with French oak (80% new). Still fruity and fresh." Winestate Magazine, March/April 2011

With fruit harvested at optimum flavour potential and ripeness this Merlot is of outstanding quality.  Smooth and velvety on the palate with flavours of plum and mushroom combined with a... Read more »

"softly textured and generous in nature"

The individual vineyard parcels were destemmed to our fermenters and inoculated with selected yeast strains. Once active the ferments were hand plunged to gently extract tannin and colour from the skins. After a period of maceration on skins the new wines were pressed to barrel and tank for malolactic fermentation. The individual varietal and vineyard parcels were aged separately in barrel for 12 months before being blended and bottled.

This is a full bodied and rich Hawkes Bay blend. Densely coloured it has a bouquet of dark fruits and subtle oak seasoning while the palate is softly textured and generous in nature, reflecting the high quality of the 2010 vintage. Due to its well ripened tannins the wine can be enjoyed as a young wine although it also shows... Read more »

** Buy a case of Frizzell Wine and go in the draw to win the featured limited edition Dick Frizzell woodcut print valued at $1200 **

"An impressive red from the excellent 2007 vintage"

5 STARS: Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

5 STARS: Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz

5 Stars & 95/100: Gourmet Traveller Magazine

4.5 stars: Michael... Read more »

"A youthful and vibrant Merlot"

4 STARS: Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

"A youthful and vibrant Merlot displaying red plum, blueberry and subtle spice characters on the nose. The fruit characters are pristine and very appealing. It's medium-bodied on the palate with lovely fruit intensity and smooth texture leading to a pleasantly dry finish. A well balanced and accessible red for easy drinking now, with a potential to develop savoury complexity" Sam kim, Wine Orbit

APPEARANCE: Deep Ruby

BOUQUET: Rich aromas of plum, violets and blackberry

PALATE: The palate is full flavoured,... Read more »

"excellent weight and length"

COLOUR: Deep red with purple hues.

NOSE: A rich and complex bouquet, showing ripe plum and mulberry notes, with hints of spice.

PALATE: A wine of excellent weight and length, with intense ripe plum and blackberry flavours, and soft tannins.

FOOD MATCH: An ideal partner for roast meats, casseroles and richly flavoured pasta dishes.

VINIFICATION. A hot summer and dry weather throughout autumn produced ideal conditions for ripening red grapes in Hawke’s Bay. The Merlot was harvested at low acidity and with excellent ripeness. Fruit was destemmed but not crushed, and fermented on skins in a mixture of open top and closed vessels using cultured yeast strains. Fermentation took place over an average 18 days at... Read more »

"A very enjoyable and easy drinking red for any occasion"

4 STARS (87/100): Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

“A youthful and very approachable Merlot displaying red/black plum, spice an a hint of dried herb characters on the nose. Its medium-bodied on the palate showing lovely fruit intensity and smooth texture with fine-grained tannins. A very enjoyable and easy drinking red for any occasion” Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

Great colour and aromas of plum and dark berryfruit are typical of Hawke’s Bay Merlot. Silky tannins give it a soft finish for early drinkability and the depth of... Read more »

"RIPE BLACKBERRY, SPICE AND DARK PLUM WITH A TOUCH OF CEDAR CHARACTERS"

4 STARS: Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

"A classically framed Bordeaux blend showing ripe blackberry, spice and dark plum with a touch of cedar characters on the nose. The palate is medium-full, smooth and lengthy with a nice firm tannins. It’s well balanced, harmonised with a proper dry finish. Not for easy sipping but a great wine to partner meaty dishes. At its best: now to 2013". Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

"The palate is refreshing and vibrant"

"A youthful nose displaying red plum, spice and subtle dried herb characters. The palate is refreshing and vibrant with good acidity and fine tannins. A well balanced medium-bodied Merlot with a clean soft finish. At its best: now to 2010". Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

"Dark coloured, warm and showing plenty of depth and fruit-weight. A classy Merlot with a hint of Malbec in support, drinking well now with a dinner of beef, lamb, spicy pizza or tasty cheese platter." Peter Saunders

"Grass Cove as Captain James Cook called it during his second voyage to New Zealand in 1773 is to be found in Marlborough’s scenic Queen Charlotte Sound. For the... Read more »

"FULL OF RIPE BERRY FRUIT CHARACTERS WITH A TOUCH OF SPICE"

4 STARS: Sam Kim Wine Orbit

"It's full of ripe berry fruit characters with a touch of spice on the nose. The palate is immediately attractive showing smooth texture and fine tannins. Supple and rounded, this is an excellent everyday wine with good fruit intensity. At its best: now to 2012".

Rich aroma’s of liquorice, chocolate, fruitcake and cassis characters. Ripe rich fruit characters of black current and black cherry. Subtle toasty oak flavours with a firm yet supple finish.

The wines of Quail’s Run are selected  by Master of Wine Steve Smith and are characterised by their vibrant, intense flavours.

Dark red colour with a vibrant garnet rim. Aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry combined with sandalwood, dark chocolate and wild thyme notes provide a complex bouquet. The palate is thick with layered fine tannin that is rendered plush with succulent fruit flavours.
This power packed red has great length of flavour.

FOOD MATCH: Red meat, Pasta dishes or by itself.