"A blend of cabernet, merlot and malbec with ripe berry, spice, plum and nutty oak flavours. Elegant wine that is showing the benefit of a little bottle age with integrated flavours and a pleasingly smooth texture. A stylish red that’s good drinking now but will continue to develop well. Drink: 2018 to 2024" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review

This blend displays a vibrant ruby red in the glass, with no signs of age. The nose is explosive, with dark spice and herbal lift over the still-alive red fruit. A strong savoury, gamey component faintly hints at secondary characteristics. The palate is open and enveloping, still fresh with an attack of plum and cedar. The finish is lengthy and opulent, caressing with gentle, beautifully integrated tannins and a decent prickle of acidity. The power of this wine is obvious despite its age, sitting just within its optimum drinking window and at peak pleasurability.

Composition: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 22% Malbec. All varieties were harvested separately from vineyards around Gimblett Road. The fruit was de- stemmed with minimal crushing and transferred to closed fermenters. Warm fermentation on skins for maximum colour, aroma and flavour extraction. Aged in French and American barriques for 18 months.

Created to celebrate diverse small-production vineyards around New Zealand, the Kemp Road series brings together great artisan winegrowers, whanau, history and the work of a professional artist in one beautiful package. Kemp Road wines are produced in close collaboration with the best artisan winemakers of New Zealand as one-off special edition releases of their favourite wines.

Whenua refers to two interconnected concepts in Maori culture: the land; and the origin of people. In the same way, the Kemp Road series is about the bringing-together of people and place: a celebration of diversity, Whanau, and artisan winemaking.

Food Pairing: Try this wine with a blue cheese burger or rosemary braised lamb shanks