Village Vineyards Arataki Block Hawkes Bay Red 2021

Village Vineyards Arataki Block Hawke’s Bay Red is a rich, deeply flavoured blend built around Merlot, with Syrah and Petit Verdot adding spice, colour and structure. Dark plum and ripe black fruit meet sumac, chocolate and savoury spice, carried by mouth-coating tannins through a smooth, warming finish. Arataki Road is where the Evans family lived and ran Village Orchard for more than 30 years, with the vineyard sitting nearby beneath Te Mata-o-Rongokako. Generous but nicely balanced, this is ready for roast lamb, slow-cooked beef, mushrooms or a properly hearty winter dinner.

What the winery says:

The blend is made from 80% Merlot, 15% Syrah and 5% Petit Verdot grown at the family’s Havelock North vineyard during its second year of organic conversion. The grapes are hand-destemmed, wild fermented and plunged by foot before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Dark plum and sumac spice lead into a rich, mouth-filling palate with chocolatey depth, smooth tannins and a long, savoury finish. The label artwork by Lisa Nicole captures the view from the Arataki Block towards the resting figure of Te Mata-o-Rongokako.

What the experts say:

The Real Review, 91/100 (2021 Vintage)