North & South – June 2019

104 | NORTH&SOUTH| JUNE 2019

balancedbyappetisingacidity,
anda longfinish.$20

Reds

AskerneHawke’sBay
CabernetFranc 2016
★★★★
Pricedsharply,thischarac-
terfulredwasmaturedfor
18 monthsinoakbarrels.
Promisinglydeepincolour,
itisvibrantlyfruity,with
strong,ripeberry,plumand
spiceflavours,finelyinte-
gratedoak,gentletannins
andgoodcomplexity. $23

ChurchRoadMcDonald
SeriesHawke’sBay
CabernetSauvignon
2015 ★★★★
Thispowerful,smoothredwas
estate-growninwhat’sbecome
knownastheBridgePāTri-
anglewinedistrict.Densely
coloured,it is robust,withbold
berry,plumandspiceflavours,
a hintofcoconuttyoak,and
ripe,suppletannins.$28

Domaine-Thomson
ExplorerCentralOtago
PinotNoir 2018 ★★★★
This single-vineyard Lowburn
red – classy yet affordable – was
barrel-aged for eight months.
Ruby-hued, it is fragrant and
mouth-filling, with strong,
ripe, plummy, spicy flavours,
nutty and savoury notes adding
complexity, and finely balanced
tannins. A top buy. $29

GrahamNorton’sOwn

Shiraz 2015 ★★★★

Deliciousnow,thisSouthAus-

tralianredisdeeplycoloured,

sturdyandvibrant,withrich,

ripeplumandspiceflavours,a

hintoflicorice,anda smooth,

longfinish.Finevalue.$19

HāhāHawke’sBayMerlot

2018 ★★★

Thisinstantlyappealingand

vibrantlyfruityredisfull-

colouredandsmooth,withvery

gentleacidity,a restrainedoak

influence,andfresh,generous

berry,plumandspiceflavours

tothefore. $18

Lawson’sDryHills

ReserveMarlborough

PinotNoir 2015 ★★★★

This great-value red was grown

at two adjacent vineyards in

the Waihopai Valley and ma-

tured in French oak barriques

(25% new). Deep ruby, with a

fragrant, complex bouquet, it

is full-bodied, with a powerful

surge of ripe, plummy, spicy fla-

vours, fairly firm tannins and the

structure to mature well. Best

drinking: 2021 and beyond. $30

Morton Estate [Black

Label] Hawke’s Bay

Merlot 2016 ★★★★

Priced right, this full-coloured,

mouth-filling red has gener-

ous, ripe blackcurrant, plum

and spice flavours, savoury and

nutty notes to add complexity,

and a smooth finish. $20

MtBeautifulNorth

CanterburyPinotNoir

2017 ★★★★

This is a classy young red,

worth cellaring. Estate-grown

at Cheviot, it is deep ruby, fra-

grant and full-bodied, with

plummy, gently spicy and

herbal flavours, concentrated,

complex and savoury. $32

Quarter Acre Hawke’s

Bay Syrah 2017 ★★★★★

From “hillside and old river-

bed” vineyards, this invitingly

perfumed red is silky-smooth.

Less overtly peppery than

many of the region’s syrahs, it

has deep, plummy, spicy, slight-

ly nutty flavours, with a finely

textured, lasting finish. $40

Quartz Reef Bendigo

Estate Single Vineyard

Central Otago Pinot Noir

2017 ★★★★★

Certified organic, this refined,

full-coloured red is highly per-

fumed. Already drinking well,

it is sweet-fruited, with strong

cherry, plum and spice flavours,

showing good complexity, and

a rounded finish. $49

Redmetal Vineyards

Bridge Pā Triangle

Merlot/Cabernet Franc

2016 ★★★★

A good buy, this deeply colour-

ed, vibrantly fruity red has

strong, ripe blackcurrant,

plum and spice flavours, with

a well-rounded finish. Finely

balanced for current consump-

tion, it also has some ageing

potential. $22

RockyPointCentral

OtagoPinotNoir 2017

★★★★

Estate-grown at Bendigo,

this fragrant, full-bodied

red is drinking well now, but

age-worthy too. Bright ruby, it

has strong cherry, plum, spice

and dried herb flavours, with

nutty, savoury notes adding

complexity and lovely har-

mony. $29

Stonecroft Crofters

GimblettGravels

Hawke’sBaySyrah 2018

★★★★

Designed for early drinking,

this is a vibrantly fruity and

medium-bodied, supple

syrah. Deep ruby, it has fresh,

plummy, spicy aromas and

flavours, with savoury notes

adding complexity, and very

good depth and harmony.

Certified organic. $24

TaylorMadeClare

ValleyShirazFrench

Oak 2015 ★★★★

If you like powerful Aussie

reds, this is for you. Matured

for 20 months in American and

French oak barrels, it is dark

and robust (15.7% alc/vol),

with rich, vibrant flavours of

dark fruits, licorice and spices.

Delicious drinking, both now

and onwards. $25 +

From left: Domaine-

Thomson Explorer

Central Otago Pinot

Noir 2018; Graham

Norton’s Own

Shiraz 2015; Hāhā

Hawke’s Bay Merlot

2018; Lawson’s

Dry Hills Reserve

Marlborough Pinot

Noir 2015; Morton

Estate [Black Label]

Hawke’s Bay Merlot

2016; Quarter

Acre Hawke’s Bay

Syrah 2017; and

Redmetal Vineyards

Bridge Pā Triangle

Merlot/Cabernet

Franc 2016.