From the Gimblett Gravels in Hawke\u2019s Bay, with over a decade ageing in the bottle (featuring the old \u2018moustache\u2019 logo!). Brooding, inky dark carmine red in the glass. Boldly perfumed with crushed red berries, blackcurrant, and that distinctive Merlot plum character leading the way.<\/p>\n
As an older wine, I\u2019m finding secondary flavours like tobacco, leather and a smoky tar-like note underlying the fruit flavours. Most of that youthful freshness is ebbing away, but there\u2019s a purity to the concentration and depth that a good Gimblett Gravels aged red will show. It\u2019s still pretty robust \u2013 tannins are svelte and ripe, the acidity is holding up and gives enough drive through the palate. That palate is showing a little liquorice, with a pencil-lead, graphite minerality \u2013 you would know this is from a stony terroir, with an iron-earthiness, and a definite element of forest floor with the dried herbal leafiness.<\/p>\n
This could easily pass as a good right bank Bordeaux. In a good year (and 2009 is considered a great year for this region), the Gimblett Gravels Merlots are hard to beat. 94pts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" From the Gimblett Gravels in Hawke\u2019s Bay, with over a decade ageing in the bottle (featuring the old \u2018moustache\u2019 logo!). Brooding, inky dark carmine red in the glass. Boldly perfumed … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wine-review-by-winefolio"],"yoast_head":"\n