One of New Zealand’s great ‘Bordeaux style’ red wines – from a steep hillside vineyard in Bayview, Hawke’s Bay. The low yielding vines were planted back in 1989 and The Terraces is a true ‘field blend’ – that is, all the grapes are harvested on a single day. A mix of Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. A dense, near-black claret colour. The perfume has dark plum, vanilla, raspberry, cassis, amber, crushed herbs, cherry, pink peppercorn and liquorice threaded through a smoky incense note. Not heavy, there is a gentle calmness to the palate, with supple tannin and moderate acidity as the spine. As you delve in, the wine evolves, with more density and energy, and spicy, savoury elements join the ripe fruits (’20 was a great vintage). This is superb now, and I predict will still be superb in twenty years if cellared well. 96pts
Esk Valley Heipipi The Terraces 2020
