Black Cottage Hawke's Bay Merlot Cabernet 2017

Black Cottage Hawke's Bay Merlot Cabernet 2017French oak Red berries & plum Toasted nut & dark cocoa Silky texture "Aromas of red berries and baked blackberry, tobacco, bell pepper, plums and wood spices. Dry, spicy, toasty and fruity. Flavours mirror the nose, firm tannins and medium+ acidity. A core of red berries and spicy oak. Well made, youthful and lengthy. A food wine to allow the red berry and subtle complexity emerge. Medium rare Canterbury lamb with a rice and brown lentils. Best

• French oak
• Red berries & plum
• Toasted nut & dark cocoa
• Silky texture

"Aromas of red berries and baked blackberry, tobacco, bell-pepper, plums and wood spices. Dry, spicy, toasty and fruity. Flavours mirror the nose, firm tannins and medium+ acidity. A core of red berries and spicy oak. Well made, youthful and lengthy. A food wine to allow the red berry and subtle complexity emerge. Medium rare Canterbury lamb with a rice and brown lentils. Best drinking from 2021 through 2025+" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Oct 2020

"It's delightfully ripe and fragrant, showing Black Doris plum, cassis, toasted nut, thyme and floral aromas on the nose. The attractively rounded palate displays succulent fruit flavours with silky texture and fine chalky tannins, finishing supple and lingering. At its best: now to 2022" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Oct 2020

"Deep, ruby-red with a deep purple hue, lighter on the rim. The bouquet has a lively appeal, nuances of black plums, blackcurrants, along with violet melded with cedar element. Medium-full bodied, aromas of black plums, blackcurrants are plush, interweave savoury black olives, subtle violet and cedar underlay. The palate is with breadth and weight, carries supple, silky tannin, with dark cocoa grains, lingering with delicate spices on the finish. Acidity is lacy, provides liveliness and youth to the wine. This is an appealing Merlot/ Cabernet blend with upfront fruitiness, subtle violet and cedar details on a supple, grainy palate. Match with beef jerky and barbeque meat over the next 2-3 years. Fruit from Gimblett Gravels, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc" Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, Sep 2020

Deep ruby in colour, this lively Bordeaux blend is full of perfumed violet and red berry aromas with hints of spice and wild mushroom notes. The structured palate has black olive flavours that combine with blackberry and cassis notes. Plush tannins contribute to a smooth and spicy finish.

An exciting new addition to the Black Cottage range, from New Zealand's premium red wine region. The grapes for this Merlot Cabernet were hand harvested predominantly from the Gimblett Gravels sub-region of Hawke’s Bay. The wine was matured in 100% French oak barrels, 20% new, for 12 months.

Food Pairing: Pair with savoury European dishes.