Church Road Hawke's Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Franc

Church Road Hawke's Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Franc is sourced from the warm, stony soils of the Bridge Pa Triangle and Gimblett Gravels, sub-regions known for producing concentrated, fully ripe fruit with real structure. The blend is fragrant and elegant, built around a core of dark berry fruit, cherry and plum, lifted by top notes of spice, violet, rosewood and cedar. On the palate it starts at medium weight before building through to a long, substantial finish, with the classic claret-style structure that has made this label a consistent favourite among Hawke's Bay reds. Full-bodied and food-friendly, it's already drinking well and suited to hearty fare like roasts and grilled red meats.

What the winery says: The Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon blend is one of the most challenging and exciting wine styles to produce, and when blended sensitively it makes for one of the most complete, complex and fragrant styles of red wine in the world. Grown on the warm climates and light, stony soils of the Bridge Pa Triangle and Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing District, this wine shows a fragrant, elegant core of dark berry fruit, cherry and plum, lifted by spice, violet, rosewood and cedar, with a medium weight that builds to a long, substantial finish. It is already drinking exceptionally well.