Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Te Kahu Merlot Cabernet 2024

Te Kahu takes its name from the cloak of mist that drapes over Craggy Range's Gimblett Gravels vineyard in Hawke's Bay - a Bordeaux-style blend led by Merlot (49%) with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec filling out the frame. The 2024 vintage pours a deep crimson with a purple hue, its concentrated nose carrying black and blue fruits, black olive and dried tobacco. On the palate it's vibrant and energetic, amplifying blue-fruit and liquorice characters through dark chocolate-laced tannins that give the wine real structure. Ready to enjoy now, though it will happily cellar for up to 15 years. Best matched with slow-cooked lamb or a rich pasta dish.

What the winery says:
Te Kahu, meaning 'the cloak' in te reo Māori, refers to the mist that drapes over Craggy Range's Gimblett Gravels vineyard in Hawke's Bay. A Merlot-dominant, Bordeaux-style blend of 49% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec, it shows a deep crimson red with a purple hue. The nose is concentrated, led by notes of black and blue fruits, black olive and dried tobacco, while the palate shows vibrant energy, amplifying blue-fruit and liquorice characters, framed by dark chocolate-laced tannins that deliver a classical structure.

Cameron Douglas, MS, 93 Points (2024 Vintage)
Great colour with a lovely concentration and depth, ripeness and aromatic impact. Flavours of dark plums and tobacco, blackberries and clay, dried herbs and stone, violets and smoky wood tones. A frim and dry wine with texture impacts from the tannins and acidity framing the core of red berry fruits, boysenberry and fruit compote qualities. Balanced and well made, youthful and lengthy with best drinking from day of purchase through 2033.