• French oak
• Florals
• Earthy notes
• Silky smooth 

"An interesting and effective varietal partnership with sangiovese providing finesse and cabernet structure and bulk. An aromatic and appealing red with red fruits, spice and floral flavours" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Sep 2020

"This is enticing and beautifully perfumed on the nose showing dark berry, vanilla, rosemary, game and toasted nut aromas, leading to a wonderfully flavoursome palate that's filled with gorgeous fruit richness backed by bright acidity and fine tannins. Supple, fleshy and very long on the finish with savoury and fruity flavours. At its best: now to 2025" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Oct 2020

Drink by the fireside or gently chilled on a hot summer’s day. Organic perfumed yet earthy, flowers and tobacco, powerful and so silky smooth … a border skirmish in a bottle.

The Maraekakaho vineyard is planted on an old river bed which slowly wound its way into existence around 200,000 years ago. These vines are barely a twinkle by comparison, planted 13 years ago and tended organically for the last five. Yields were kept low and canopies well-tended with these late ripening varieties.

We kept it simple in the winery and gently destemmed before going to tank for ferment. The wine was softly pumped over every day throughout ferment and spent up to three weeks on skins to allow those silky-smooth tannins to evolve. After pressing, the Sangiovese was aged in a 2500L French oak tank and the Cabernet Sauvignon in French oak barriques. The two varieties were kept separate until blending 15 months later, with the final blend made up of 84% Sangiovese and 16% Cabernet.

This wine conjures up the collision of two European power houses. Sangiovese is Italian; sleek and fine, but sometimes lacking in a little agricultural grunt. While Cabernet Sauvignon is as French and as barbaric as the hordes of Gauls who descended to defeat the Italians (well, Romans really) on their southern border.