Even in good vintages like 2013 in Hawkes Bay, most merlots and blends benefit from extra bottle age to allow the sometimes rough edges of youth to mellow. When the premium 2013 reds are released, expect some fine wines.
BEST VALUE
$16
Three and a half stars (out of five)
Good value
Attractive savoury spicy undertones, red berry fruit, elderberries and plums, with fine-grained dusty tannins and a lively finish that mellows with time in the glass.
$13
Three stars
Average value
Lots of spicy, red, stewed fruit - juicy blackcurrant and apple, medium bodied with a hint of spice and a simple fresh finish.
$14
Three stars
Average value
Dark with soft juicy fruit, plums and fruitcake, a hint of spice, jam and cedar, and a firm finish.
$20
Three and a half stars
Average value
At three years of bottle age, this has mellowed nicely, with soft, spicy fruit, darker savoury undertones and suggestions of cigar box and a fresh lively finish.
Drinking nicely.
$20
Three stars
Below average value
With oodles of red fruits, slightly stewed and spicy, and a hint of mineral, this is concentrated with a hard, edgy finish. Give it time to mellow.
$45
Four stars
Below average value
At four years old this blend of merlot, cabernet franc and malbec has developed fragrant hints of cigar box which are integrated with mellowed cherry fruit and savoury undertones, resulting in a lovely mature wine with a silky texture and powdery tannins.
ANOTHER GLASS
Stoneleigh Marlborough Merlot 2013
$17.30
Three stars
Average value
Bold, edgy fruit with lots of oak, hints of spice and biscuit, and a slightly rough, almost herbaceous finish.
