"A gorgeous red, the seductive nose shows black/blueberry, dark plum, clove and cedar characters with nuances of cocoa and dried herbs. It is concentrated and richly fruited on the palate, and offers velvety texture and supple tannins. A delectable wine delivering loads of tasty flavours, and finishes superbly long and engaging. At its best: now to 2022" Sam Kim Wine Orbit

"Very full, dark, deep, purple-hued ruby-red colour, lighter on the rim and very youthful in appearance.  This has an elegant and refined nose with aromas of ripe blackberries and blackcurrants, dark-red plums, unfolding notes of cassis liqueur and subtle fresh herb nuances.  The aromatics are integrated and harmonious in expression and reveal spicy, pencilly oak notes.  Medium-full bodied, the palate is elegantly concentrated with a tightly bound core of rpe blackcurrant and black plum fruit flavours along with subtle fresh herb and cassis notes.  The fruit is vibrant with fresh acidity, and supported by fine-grained tannin structure forming a firm line.  The wine carries to a long, lingering fine-textures finish of blackcurrants, blackberries and cassis.  This is an elegant and refined Cabernet/Merlot blend with vibrant blackcurrant and black plum fruit and structural finesse.  Serve with roasted lamb or beef over the next 6-8+ years.  A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon and 49% Merlot from the company’s Kereru Road and Maraekakaho fruit fermented to 13.5% alc., the wine aged 20 months in 12.5% new French oak, the remainder predominantly 1 y.o. oak." Raymond Chan

This blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with some Merlot is a dense mouthful with red and dark fruits, tobacco and spice notes….along with all important drinkability and balance.

Hand harvested fruit was fully destemmed and 50% crushed into open top fermenters. It was plunged by hand up to three times daily (less at the beginning and end of ferment) for a three week period. The purpose was to make sure we were extracting all of the tannin we wanted without being overly hard on the fruit. Firm but soft and supple is what we were after. The wine was pressed and run to French oak for 20 months before it was blended and prepared for bottling.

Fruit was sourced from our vineyard and Marekakaho which in 2014 enjoyed an amazingly, long and settled season. This resulted in a long hang time for the fruit and development of lovely complex spicy flavours and ripe, rounded tannins. Vines were carrying less than 2 kg’s per vine and the leaves around the bunch zone were removed to capture the full light and heat of the sun.