The 2024 Helmsman is 86% Cabernet, 7% Syrah and 7% Cabernet Franc, from an excellent vintage in Hawke’s Bay. A dense, inky garnet colour in the glass. A lovely perfume, softer than the colour suggests, is led with blackcurrant, plum and dark cherry fruits, with some nutmeg, black pepper and eucalypt, with just a lift of purple florals as well. Medium-bodied with a delicate chalkiness and stony minerality apparent quite quickly. A little smoky and spicy. Fine, gravelly and grainy, with perky acidity and mellow, lengthy tannins. Enough texture to notice, but not hold things back – there’s a decent flow to this, and the finish is dry, precise and lengthy. 93pts
Sacred Hill Helmsman 2024
