"Beautifully fruited and wonderfully composed, the wine shows dark plum, blackcurrant, floral, vanilla and toasted nut characters on the nose, leading to a succulentn palate that is supple and rounded. It is pristine and elegant, while offering stylish complexity and delectable intensity, well supported by fine, polished tannins." Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Nov 2018

Deep magenta, Estate Vineyards Cabernets/Merlot ’17 overflows with fresh red berries, dark cherries, blueberry and ripe Hawke’s Bay plums. Savoury bay leaf, and fine toast and spice notes from the oak, give our 2017 release great presence, varietal personality and complexity on the palate. Appealing, approachable – and just a touch aristocratic. Cabernets/Merlot ’17 continues to over-deliver in flavour, intricacy and finesse.

The individual parcels of each variety, from each plot, were de-stemmed before a traditional warm fermentation, followed by extended maceration on skins. The resulting wines were pressed, returned to tank for malolactic fermentation, then run off to a mixture of new and seasoned French oak barrels for 11 months’ maturation before blending. The wines were regularly topped and racked, throughout maturation, blended and traditionally egg-white fined before bottling. The final blend is 47% cabernet sauvignon, 41% merlot 12% cabernet franc.

Food Pairing: Estate Vineyards Cabernets/Merlot ’17 is a wonderful accompaniment to hard cheeses and anything that once lived in a field.