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Mills Reef Elspeth Cabernet Merlot 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Concentrated Hawke’s Bay blend with rich spice and dried herb flavours, still youthful. Complex, with firm tannins.

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Coopers Creek SV Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Full-coloured blend of cabernet sauvignon (73%), merlot (25%) and malbec (2%), showing very good concentration of plum, spice and slight coffee flavours, with a finely textured, lingering finish.

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Clearview Old Olive Block Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Fresh, vibrant and supple blend of cabernet sauvignon (46%) and merlot (38%), with smaller amounts of cabernet franc and malbec. Concentrated blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, seasoned with toasty oak, and good, savoury complexity.

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Church Road Grand Reserve Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Bold, dark red with concentrated, ripe blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours and a smooth finish. Soft and elegant, showing good weight, balance and length.

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Babich Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Nutty, spicy and flavoursome, in a tightly structured style with fresh, ripe fruit characters and a firm finish.

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Satyr Three Roads Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Full-coloured, firm, spicy and plummy, with some development showing and savoury notes adding complexity. (From Sileni.)

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Saint Clair Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Mouthfilling red, grown mostly in the Gimblett Gravels and American oak-aged. Ripe plum and spice flavours, with fresh acidity and very good depth.

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Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot Malbec 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Full-coloured and sweet-fruited, with strong, ripe, plummy, spicy flavours, some oak complexity and a smooth finish. Enjoyable young.

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Gunn Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Full-flavoured, plummy, spicy red, based almost entirely (99%) on merlot. Savoury, nutty notes add complexity, with a firm finish.

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Coopers Creek SV Metals and Gravels Merlot Malbec 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Vibrantly fruity blend of merlot (79%) and malbec (21%), with plum, spice and nut flavours, showing very good depth.

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Askerne Reserve Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Malbec Merlot Cabernet 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Full-coloured, with very good depth of fresh plum, spice, herb and olive flavours and a firm finish.

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Vidal Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Full-coloured and fragrant, with a sweet oak influence, strong, ripe plum and spice flavours, showing some complexity, and a smooth finish.

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Te Awa Single Estate Merlot Cabernet 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Fragrant and full-bodied, with rich, ripe plum and spice flavours, fresh, well-rounded and lingering.

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Sileni Estate Selection The Triangle Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Ripe fruit aromas, seasoned with sweet oak. Big, savoury, spicy wine, seasoned with nutty oak, and a finely textured, lengthy finish.

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Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Block Merlot 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Dark Gimblett Gravels red with a perfumed, sweetly oaked bouquet (American oak, 47% new). Vibrantly fruity, with strong plum and spice flavours, showing some savoury complexity, and a well-rounded finish.

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Sacred Hill Brokenstone Merlot Malbec 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Deeply coloured, merlot-based, Gimblett Gravels blend, with minor portions of malbec (6%), syrah (5%), cabernet sauvignon (2%) and cabernet franc (2%). Strong blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, complex and savoury, and good tannin backbone.

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Moana Park Hawke’s Bay Merlot Malbec 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Powerful, bold Gimblett Gravels blend of merlot (80%), malbec (15%) and cabernet franc (5%), barrel-aged for a year. Concentrated plum, spice and herb flavours, with smooth tannins. Sharply priced.

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Mills Reef Elspeth Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Generous, full-coloured red with a floral bouquet, showing a smoky, toasty oak influence. Mouthfilling body, with strong berry and spice flavours, rich, savoury and smooth.

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Babich Winemakers’ Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Mouthfilling, supple Gimblett Gravels red with a spicy bouquet, very good depth of ripe, plummy flavour, a seasoning of nutty oak, and a smooth, lengthy finish.

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Alluviale Gimblett Road Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Posted: April 3, 2017

Fresh, lively and savoury blend of merlot (88%) and cabernet sauvignon (12%), grown in the Gimblett Gravels. Strong, ripe plum, spice and nutty oak flavours, showing good complexity and harmony.

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Villa Maria Cellar Selection Organic Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Dark, with excellent depth of plum, spice and nut flavours, finely textured and harmonious. Soft, rich and elegant.

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Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Dark, rich and smooth. Weighty, with vibrant plum/spice flavours, a hint of herbs, finely integrated oak, good complexity and excellent ripeness, texture and depth.

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Esk Valley Gimblett Gravels Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Bold, youthful blend with concentrated, ripe plum, spice and blackcurrant flavours, oak complexity and a long finish. Dark and dense, with obvious potential. A top buy.

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Elephant Hill Reserve Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Deeply coloured red with strong personality, blended from merlot (64%), cabernet sauvignon (35%) and malbec (1%), estate-grown in the Gimblett Gravels (principally) and Bridge Pa Triangle. Powerful, with plummy, slightly minty flavours, rich and smooth-flowing. Weighty, fresh and soft.

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Clearview Cape Kidnappers Hawke’s Bay Merlot Malbec 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Powerful, concentrated blend of merlot (81%), malbec (13%) and cabernet franc (6%). Bold, plummy, spicy flavours, with nutty oak and fine-grained tannins. Rich, ripe and rounded. Great value.

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Church Road McDonald Series Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Dark, fragrant, powerful wine with dense, ripe, plummy, spicy flavours, a hint of coffee, and lovely softness and richness. Praised by all judges, this is a five-star red at a four-star price.

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Esk Valley Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2015

Posted: April 3, 2017

Bright pink, mouthfilling and vibrantly fruity, with dryish berry and spice flavours, fresh and strong.

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Alluviale Anobli (375ml) Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Posted: April 3, 2017

Mature, gold/amber blend from two Hawke’s Bay sites, late-harvested and barrel-fermented. Honeyed bouquet, with sweet, strong, apricot-like flavours, showing a powerful botrytis influence, and an oily, rich texture. Ready.

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Esk Valley Gimblett Gravels Verdelho 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Still developing, this fleshy, weighty wine has an attractive bouquet and strong, tropical fruit flavours, crisp, slightly spicy, finely textured and lingering.

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Esk Valley Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Still youthful, this refreshing, very finely balanced wine is lively, with a sliver of sweetness, appetising acidity, and pure apple, melon and peach flavours showing very good depth.

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Babich Family Estates Fernhill Viognier 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

This estate-grown wine is mouthfilling and dry, with peach, pear and spice flavours, an oily texture, gentle acidity, and good delicacy and depth.

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Saint Clair Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

This pale, weighty wine was estate-grown in the Gimblett Gravels. Floral, it has pure apricot, pear and spice flavours, with a crisp, fully dry finish.

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Pask Gimblett Road Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Light and youthful in colour, this finely textured wine is sweet-fruited, with fresh, dry pear, spice and slight nut flavours.

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Villa Maria Single Vineyard Ohiti Gravels Hawke’s Bay Arneis 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Crisp, refreshing, slightly minerally wine with substantial body, ripe, citrusy fruit flavours and a lingering finish.

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Villa Maria Single Vineyard Ohiti Gravels Hawke’s Bay Arneis 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Pale and scented, this is a medium-bodied, strongly varietal wine with fresh, vibrant pear and slight lime flavours, crisp, finely balanced and lingering.

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Babich Family Estates Gimblett Gravels Gewurztraminer 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Already very expressive, this mouthfilling wine has ripe, peachy, slightly spicy flavours in a strongly varietal style, showing good body and fragrance.

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Askerne Hawke’s Bay Gewurztraminer 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Showing plenty of personality, this pale gold, mouthfilling wine was hand-harvested and 15% barrel-fermented. Peachy and spicy, it is dryish, with slightly gingery notes and lots of current-drinking appeal.

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Pask Gimblett Road Barrique Fermented Sauvignon Blanc 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Crisp, refreshing, medium-bodied wine with ripe, tropical fruit flavours to the fore, a subtle seasoning of oak and a lingering finish.

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Osawa Prestige Collection Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2013

Posted: April 3, 2017

Drinking well now, this wood-aged style has melon, cut-grass and nut flavours, a minerally streak, and good texture and complexity.

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Clearview Reserve Barrique Fermented Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Aromatic, full-bodied wine with fresh, ripe, tropical fruit flavours, a subtle oak influence and a crisp, dry finish.

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Black Barn Tuki Tuki Sauvignon Blanc 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Fragrant and sweet-fruited, with youthful, ripely herbaceous flavours, a very subtle seasoning of oak and good length.

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Black Barn Single Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Good all-purpose wine, grown in the Havelock Hills. Medium-bodied, with pear and gentle spice flavours, fresh, crisp and lively.

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Esk Valley Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2015

Posted: April 3, 2017

Clearly varietal wine with peach, pear and lychee flavours, showing very good delicacy and depth, and a gently spicy, off-dry finish.

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Tiki Single Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Mouthfilling, barrel-fermented wine with a slightly mealy bouquet and peachy flavours, showing good ripeness and harmony. Vibrantly fruity, with some elegance.

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Tiki Koro Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Slightly oaky bouquet. Mouthfilling, with citrusy, peachy, nutty flavours, showing a touch of complexity, but oak-dominated in its youth (fermented in French oak barriques, 70% new). Worth cellaring.

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Sileni Estate Selection The Lodge Chardonnay 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Full-bodied wine with fresh, citrusy flavours, gently seasoned with nutty oak, and a slightly creamy texture. Enjoyable young.

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Pukeora Ruahine Range Chardonnay 2012

Posted: April 3, 2017

Grown on limestone slopes in Central Hawke’s Bay, this barrel-fermented wine is crisp and slightly minerally, with good depth of fresh, peachy flavours, showing some complexity.

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Vidal Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Mouthfilling and fresh, in a fruit-driven style with a subtle twist of oak and excellent balance for early drinking.

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Satyr Kereru Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Mouthfilling, with fresh, ripe, grapefruit-like flavours, considerable complexity and a slightly creamy texture. (From Sileni.)

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Pask Gimblett Road Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014

Posted: April 3, 2017

Finely balanced wine, medium to full-bodied, with fresh acidity, citrusy, peachy flavours and subtle, mealy, oaky notes adding complexity.

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