Church Road Grand Reserve Hawke's Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Malbec 2021

Church Road Grand Reserve Hawke's Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Malbec is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend drawn mainly from the free-draining gravels of the Gimblett Vineyards, with a smaller portion from the warmer, iron-flecked soils of Redstone. Dark, concentrated berry fruit and plum lead, lifted by fragrant lavender, rosewood and cedar with a whisp of cacao and vanilla, while a savoury, earthy undertone gives the wine real seriousness. The palate is medium-full bodied with good mid-palate flesh, closing on a long, fine tannin structure built to soften with age. A brooding, structured red with real cellaring potential - decant it now, or better still, tuck a bottle away.

What the winery says:
This year's blend is Cabernet Sauvignon dominant, reflecting a warm, dry season well suited to this later-ripening variety. Sourced primarily from the Gimblett Vineyards (80%), where free-draining, low-vigour gravels produce concentrated fruit and firm tannin structure, with the remainder from the warmer, iron-rich soils of Redstone Vineyard (20%), known for riper, more supple and aromatic character. 2021 was another exceptional Hawke's Bay vintage, with a sustained mid-summer drought allowing all fruit to be harvested in optimum condition. Good cellaring potential through to 2040.