Having long played second fiddle to pinot noir and sauvignon blanc, New Zealand merlot and cabernet blends, especially from Hawkes Bay, are receiving acclaim overseas.
There are many estates, both small and large, producing fine examples of this style, with potential to age well for five or six years.
Although wine sent for review is tasted blind to eliminate preconceptions, all wine tasting and evaluation is subjective.
These are personal recommendations.
charmian.smith@odt.co.nz
From Australia, this 3-year-old wine is nicely mature, with hints of prunes, strawberries and blackberries backed by savoury suggestions of spice, toast and Marmite, and a concentrated, velvety finish.
Value: Excellent value
Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
www.brownbrothers.co.nz
A beautifully balanced, harmonious blend of merlot and cabernet franc, this is velvety with rich, spicy, dark fruit and fine-grained tannins. A big wine that makes a statement but that is also stylish with a long finish. Well worth sipping and savouring now, but it will develop with bottle age.
Value: Excellent value
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
www.alluviale.com
Oodles of blackcurrants and blackberries with a hint of dried herbs, pepper and dark chocolate are backed by charred, spicy oak, and firm, grippy tannins. A very drinkable red, especially if you find it on special.
Value: Good value
Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
www.millsreef.co.nz
Easy to drink with generous berry fruit, a hint of spice and a lively finish, this wine comes from Steve and Beth Nathan's Hawkes Bay estate, where they embrace a slow-food philosophy. Winemaker Elise Montgomery has created many stunning reds from this area in the past, notably for Vidal. Available from the website.
Value: Good value
Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
www.salvare.co.nz
A big, muscular wine from Sacred Hill's flagship range, this has complex, smoky aromas with hints of eucalypt and dried sage, oodles of dark toasty oak and lush, dark berry fruit which cushions the tannic backbone, a bit like an iron fist in a velvet glove. Will develop with bottle age.
Value: Good value
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
www.sacredhill.co.nz
A stylish wine, this blend of merlot and cabernet franc oozes richly generous fruit with a hint of mineral and dried herbs, savoury oak all built on a firm structure. It's concentrated, lush and showy, but manages to retain an aristocratic finesse. One of the best Bordeaux-style reds from Hawkes Bay.
Value: Good value
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
www.bfvwine.com
