• Liquorice
• Black cherry
• Vanilla & spice
• Silky soft tannins

"Still very youthful, this Waipara Valley, North Canterbury blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and Malbec was matured for 18 months in French oak barriques. Full-coloured it is mouthfiling with concentration, vibrant blackcurrant, plum, herb and spice flavours, showing good complexity, finely balanced tannins and obvious cellaring potential" Michael Cooper, Winestate Magazine Australia, Jun 2020

"Ripe, fruity, varietal and inviting bouquet with aromas of dark plums, black cherry and blackberry. No mistaking the use of oak with dark spices and toast, the fruit soaks that up easily. On the palate - fleshy and juicy with a plush vibrant texture. Medium+ tannins with sweet oak and vanilla, blackberry and plum flavours. Some violet and dry stone mineral layers emerging as the wine begins to open up in glass. Well made, youthful, fleshy and long. A lovely example ready to enjoy" Cameron Douglas, MS, Mar 2020

"Remarkable red that probably owes much of its rich, ripe flavours to relatively old vines and the experienced hand of winemaker, Matt Donaldson. Almost luscious plum, cassis, new leather, and spicy oak flavours with a smattering of dried herb characters to remind us that its from North Canterbury" Bob Campbell, MW, Mar 2020

"Delightfully fruited and fragrant, the bouquet shows dark plum, cherry, olive, hazelnut and vanilla characters with a hint of dried herb complexity. It's succulent and smooth on the palate with beautifully rounded mouthfeel, backed by polished tannins, finishing long and flavoursome" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Mar 2020

A deep, alluring purple in the glass. The nose reveals an intoxicating patchwork of both sweet and savoury aromas, with hints of liquorice, chocolate, black cherry, vanilla and spice. On the palate it is rich and mouth-filling, with fine grained silky tannins. There is satisfying body, however the Merlot component ensures the wine remains smooth and succulent, with generous fruit weight. While ready to drink now, it will evolve gracefully in the bottle for many years to come.

Settled weather during December provided optimal conditions for flowering. A very hot summer then enabled the grapes to ripen beautifully. Free draining stony soil helped mitigate the effects of some late summer rain, and the ensuing dry autumn meant the fruit was able to be picked in excellent condition. This wine is made in the same style as the celebrated Claret from Bordeaux, using traditional methods. After being picked in April, the grapes began fermentation naturally in stainless steel tanks. During this process the juice was regularly drained and sprayed back over the cap of floating grape skins (rather than plunging), to ensure a perfect tannin balance was extracted from the fruit. The wine was then gently pressed off and put into French oak barriques (25% new). The following summer, when the weather warmed, it underwent a natural malo-lactic (secondary) fermentation. After maturing in oak for 18 months, the various batches were then carefully blended to produce the best wine possible. The finished product is a blend of approximately 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec and 10% Cabernet Franc.

The vineyard is located within the Waipara Valley of North Canterbury, on free draining, north facing terraces carved out of New Zealand’s Southern Alps by an ice-age glacier. It benefits from being in the lee of the Teviotdale Range, giving maximum protection from the Pacific’s easterly breezes and thus creating a unique mesoclimate. The vines are over 30 years old, with a large proportion planted on their own roots. The soil is free draining and of low fertility, resulting in naturally reduced vine vigour. This produces low yields of optimally ripened, high quality, flavourful grapes, which fully express the qualities of this unique terroir. The vineyard has warm days, but the nights are amongst the coolest in the Waipara Valley, drawing out the ripening period of the grapes, while still retaining good natural acidity.

Food Pairing: This deep red wine matches beautifully with braised lamb shanks with rosemary.