The last Top 10 Tasting of “single varietal reds” we did was back in October 2022, so it feels a bit overdue to be having another go. This benchmarking can include any red varietal that is grown in New Zealand, excluding Syrah and Pinot Noir – which have their own tasting. And no blends (for the same reason).
A prodigious range of varieties was received for this tasting. You would reasonably expect to get the classics – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec… but our list included all of these as well – Tannat, Tempranillo, St. Laurent, Grenache, Pinotage, Barbera, Lagrein, Chambourcin and Montepulciano.
The criteria is “currently available” so received entries from 2019 through to the 2025 vintage. We pulled seven corks – a good 20% of what was entered, with the rest under screw cap. Entries came from a wide geographical area. Northland, Auckland and Gisborne were all represented, and Hawke’s Bay was the powerhouse; but we also saw some South Island wines. A few new faces and some wines that made the Top 10 list last time out as well.
We taste each glass with a little time, with the aim to give each wine a generous chance to shine. As well as a range of varietals, there was also a range of styles, from muscular oak-heavy bruisers, to much more delicate chill-able ruby-hued wines. However, each is judged on merit, and the no.1 rule – is it delicious. In itself. Do I like it? Were we swayed by personal taste and preference? Read that again – Do I like it? Taste is very personal, and the two of us just picked what we thought was the best in the glasses in front of us.
Stewarding was done by the gorgeous and ever-reliable Mrs WB, with the order of the wines – we had 32 entries – decided by her, and all glasses poured blind. We were only revealed what each was at the end, and although Steven and I had robust discussions over scores, and what we each thought merited a place in the Top 10, I was quite clear that we shouldn’t be adjusting our positions just because we now knew what each wine was (after reveal).
The winner on the day was Sacred Hill ‘Wine Thief’ Cabernet Franc 2021. Made by Nick Picone from Gimblett Gravels fruit in Hawke’s Bay. He had this to say about our winner…
Our Wine Thief range of wines are made in limited release volumes from exceptional parcels, as selected by our winemakers. In 2002 Sacred Hill had the opportunity to buy a rare piece of land on the Gimblett Gravels. That same year, just 0.45 Hectares of the vineyard was planted in Cabernet Franc, to offer a blending component for Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon based wines. With vine age and some superb vintages of late, this small planting has come into its own. In fact, the 2021 vintage Cabernet Franc was so good we decided to bottle it separately! Cabernet Franc is capable of making truly delicious red wine, brimming with fragrance, charm and supple tannins, so our intention in the future is to capture and highlight the unique qualities of Cabernet Franc under our Wine Thief label.
Following 2019 and 2020, 2021 was another exceptional Hawke’s Bay harvest, completing arguably the greatest trifecta of superb vintages ever experienced in Hawke’s Bay. After a cool flowering period moderated yields, the season was exceptionally long, warm, and dry. Fruit was harvested at optimum maturity, with no disease or weather pressure whatsoever. This was an incredible season for reds in particular. Optimum flavours and sugars arrived with beautifully ripe tannins thanks to a healthy diurnal temperature range throughout the season. Fruit was delivered to the winery in wonderful condition and enabled a minimal handling approach, resulting in wines that were a true reflection of both site and season.
No.1: Sacred Hill ‘Wine Thief’ Cabernet Franc 2021
The bouquet is bright and lifted, floral and fruity. Juicy, glossy red fruits with touches of red liquorice. Complex, with great tannin, breezy acidity and some savoury/herbal notes (tobacco, fennel and tarragon) too. A minerality that comes from the terroir – a dry, stony earthiness underlines the fruit. Ready to go now, with the layers inter-mingling and wedded together. “A powerful but elegant wine” with a lingering finish. Excellent value at this mid-tier price point.
Paritua Platinum Cabernet Franc 2024
This wine is typically made for a special lot in the Hawke’s Bay Charity Wine Auction, then a limited quantity makes it onto lists for their mailing members. The 2019 vintage was the winning wine the last time we did this theme for the Top 10 Tasting in 2022. The nose is distinctive and “attention-grabbing”, with a ripeness and “icing sugar confectionary” edge to it. An immediate depth to the palate, without coming across a huge blockbuster of a wine. It has poise and nuance whilst balancing fruit and savoury characters. The finish is spicy and sumptuous.
The Landing Montepulciano 2024
This is another wine that is available exclusively to Wine Club members, or at visits to The Landing. Inkily dark in the glass, with plum, dark cherry, woody herbs and dried rose petal aromas. Is there “a touch of medicinal balm” to the mid-palate? A lovely, youthful wine, with plenty of dry tannin and fresh acidity in tandem. As well as plush and juicy fruit, there is a soft texture too, later in the piece. Very lengthy on the finish, that brings those moving parts together in harmony.
Trinity Hill ‘Prison Block’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
The blackcurrant, plum, cherry and marmite aromas give the varietal away in the perfume here. At five years old, it is still quite tight to taste, with a solid weight and concentration. “Love that oak” but also “heroic tannin” showed in our notes. Brooding and still with a few edges to smooth out, there’s not doubting the quality on show here though. An “almost meaty” savoury element with a peaty iron-earth tang to it shows to the back, and the finish has a peppery, dry persistence.
Decibel Malbec 2024
An opaque purple, with magenta at the edges – the colour alone says ‘Malbec’. Then the perfume backs it up – damson plum, blackberry and cherry tumble together with spice and green herbal notes. Very youthful. Judges returned to re-taste this at the end and noted it opening up as we went. A pure, confident expression, where the oak is not relevant, but the juicy acidity and lush fruit is. Tannin is the spine, but not dominant. As a whole, it’s fresh, focussed and intriguing – with “plenty of varietal definition”.
Dancing Petrel Cabernet Franc 2025
The 2021 vintage was the runner-up in the 2022 Top 10 Tasting, and we liked all the wines that this small producer sent in. A lovely medium-weight wine that had a classy, composed nose with enough of the mossy, herbal character that spoke of the varietal. Also “a touch of old rose florals”. The aromatics following into the palate, with “an earthy spiciness” alongside succulent fruit. Well-made with dusty tannins balance to oak and vibrant acidity. That spine suggests great things ahead for this if cellared well.
Church Road 1 Malbec 2021
Black plum, liquorice and boysenberry fruit, with oak and savoury notes of tapenade and wood smoke on the nose. Well-structured – with a block of chewy tannins to offset the drive of densely packed fruit. Generous and carrying plenty of weight, there’s an intriguing sweet “chocolate gateau” flavour mid-palate. A smooth, creamy texture rounds things out into an “extended length on the finish”. I recall this being quite edgy and awkward on release but has clearly developed very well and still has some way to go.
Clearview Estate Reserve Cabernet Franc 2024
As David has noted before – this wine is one of our favourite wines of this Estate. Shows an elegance and vibrancy in the perfume. Just enough “Franc funk” to stay true to the varietal, but very juicy, with a delightful “herbal bitters of negroni” as well as those red and black fruits. Supple tannins melt into the fruit, and the acidity is just right – everything in its place. Complex and age-worthy – one for the cellar.
Chateau Garage Cabernet Sauvignon 2024
An opaque burgundy colour in the glass, with a smoky complexity to the perfume of cassis, plum and blackberry supported by petrichor, black pepper, eucalypt and mocha. Good varietal typicity and “Old World Bordeaux style”. A good balance between structure, youthful fruitiness and also a degree of polished smoothness to it. For such a young Cabernet, it was noted that it “has plenty of potential”.
Karikari Merlot 2019
A gorgeous bouquet, with “a sense of fullness” – showing smoke, red florals and lots of ripe red fruits too. Mouth-watering, with a clean, plush taste despite the hints of savoury elements that creep into the back of the palate. Silky tannins and a rounded ripeness returns from the aromas. Not a heavy expression, but quite classically Merlot, and drinking well at this stage.
