A single vineyard wine from Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing District in Hawke’s Bay. A deep, inky purple in the glass. Perhaps the most approachable of all the Single Vineyard ‘1’ series wines this release, the perfume is very fruit-forward. A complex, heady concotion, with black plum, blood orange, dutch liquorice, sour cherry and tobacco all melded together on the nose. Tighter and drier into the palate, where chewy tannin drags across the palate, and a briney, black olive tang broods under the fruit sweetness. Acidity is bright and slightly pithy, almost saline. The finish is lengthy, but overall it needs more time. 92pts
Church Road ‘1’ Malbec 2021
