Beach House Hawkes Bay Merlot Franc 2024

Beach House Hawkes Bay Merlot Cabernet Franc is a plush, savoury Gimblett Gravels red with dark plum, wild strawberry and cassis layered over thyme, nutmeg, cedar and dried herbs. The palate is juicy and richly textured, with silky fruit, polished tannins and enough structure to carry its generous flavours through a long, dry finish. Hand-picked Merlot and Cabernet Franc were fermented separately before 11 months in French oak, giving the finished blend depth without losing its immediate appeal. This is an inviting new addition to the Beach House range and a natural partner for slow-cooked beef cheeks, grilled lamb or a rich mushroom ragù.

What the winery says:

The 2024 release is the first Merlot and Cabernet Franc blend produced by Beach House. Fruit from the Gimblett Gravels was hand-picked, destemmed and fermented separately in small open-topped vats, with gentle hand plunging and pump-overs used to extract flavour and colour. The wine then spent 11 months in fine French oak. The winery describes dense plum, chocolate and black forest cake flavours across a soft, plush palate with plenty of weight and length. It contains 13.5% alcohol, less than 1 gram per litre of residual sugar, 5.8 grams per litre of total acidity and has a pH of 3.55.

What the experts say:

Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, 91/100 (2024 Vintage)
“Sweetly fruited and inviting with aromas of dark plum, wild strawberry, thyme, and nutmeg on the nose. The palate delivers juicy fruit flavours with silky texture and polished tannins, finishing lingering and pleasingly dry. At its best: now to 2030.”