When going it alone, velvety merlot can be a seductive creature, quite different from its more ustere Bordeaux-blend partner, cabernet sauvignon. To be at the top of its game, merlot needs the right growing conditions and the much-lauded 2009 vintage confirmed its status as one of New Zealand’s best in recent years. We tasted some outstanding drops, especially those from the country’s premier merlot region, Hawke’s Bay, unsurprisingly home to all the wines awarded four stars and above. All showed richness, depth and a varietal identity closer to the style of fine young Bordeaux than of New World wines. Hawke’s Bay also follows the Bordeaux path in blending most of its wines with other varieties.

Says Craggy Range’s wine and viticulture director, Steve Smith, “The fact that the top cabernets and all bar the Matheson in the merlots are blends shows that, whether cabernet- or merlot-predominant, both are valid. There’s only one great Bordeaux merlot, Château Pétrus. Most Bordeaux wines need the mix of other varieties to make their own personal statements and Hawke’s Bay is no exception.”
However, despite the notion that merlot is well suited to New Zealand vineyards and well handled by Kiwi winemakers, the panel also found that many wines from the 2010 vintage and pre-2009 didn’t fit the bill. Perhaps that view of 2010 will change when the yet-to-be-released wines of the flagship estates appear. We will watch with interest.

The Tasting panel Wine panel chair, John Belsham, respected international judge and owner of Foxes Island Wines, Marlborough, was joined by Cuisine’s Melbourne-based judge and wine writer, Ralph Kyte-Powell, and Steve Smith MW, wine and viticulture director at Craggy Range.

TOP 5


1. Matua Valley Single Vineyard Matheson Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2009 $70 -8
A rib roast of beef is grand fare and for a wine to match, look no further than this beauty, which went unanimously five stars first time up. It’s fragrant and youthful, with a nose of appetising redcurrant and plum, underpinned by more complex roasted nut and cedary notes. The layered depth of the palate makes it a sophisticated style with creamy finesse and fantastic length of flavour. [B]

An education
As a child, Nikolai St George, Matua Valley’s head winemaker, saw how hard his father worked on their remote King Country sheep and cattle farm. “I thought I’d like to work a lot less hours than Dad did,” Nikolai says.
“I liked the idea of wine, but I was wrong about the hours.”
He left school at 17 and studied winemaking and viticulture, first in Gisborne with tutors Jeff Sinnot
(ex-Amisfield) and Simon Waghorn (Astrolabe), “who passed on the passion”, and later in Australia. He also worked at wineries across New Zealand. “Winemaking isn’t about studying at university,” he says. “It’s all about experience, seeing how other people do things, seeing what makes quality wine.” Six years at Goldwater Estate on Waiheke Island further honed his skills as did sojourns in France, the US and Chile. Now at Matua Valley, his Goldwater stint with Bordeaux varieties stands him in good stead. With long-standing Matua viticulturist Andrew Stove, Nikolai has crafted a wine that had the panel enraptured from the first drop.

2. Craggy Range Merlot Gimblett Gravels Vineyard Hawke’s Bay 2009 $31.95 -8
Magnificent Craggy Range is a must-see on any visit to Hawke’s Bay and its wines have few peers in the region. This merlot is a ripe, complete wine of superb focus, beautiful balance and great persistence. Dark, rich, brooding fruit is at the core, with notes of mint and nutmeg. Serve it with braised oxtail.

3. Cypress Merlot 2009 $20-$22 (Hawke’s Bay) -6
There’s a savoury peaty touch on the nose of this young merlot, more Bordeaux-like than Australasian, along with dark berry aromas, a hint of mocha, caramel and herbs. John Belsham admired its “lovely density and drive” and the panel agreed. There’s good concentration and juicy flavour. Serve with lamb racks with Provencale herbs.


4. Black Barn Vineyards Reserve Merlot 2009 $58-$65 (Hawke’s Bay) -6
A wine of elegant fruit character with excellent balance between ripe boysenberry-like fruit, choco-mint, spice and waxy complexities, tangy acidity and a tight spine of tannins. It’s fleshy in the mouth with good length and presence.

5. Trinity Hill The Gimblett 2009 $34 (Hawke’s Bay) -8
A powerful blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, malbec and cabernet franc from one of Hawke’s Bay’s premier vineyards. Juicy
blackcurrant aromas, floral notes,
a whisper of hazelnut and balanced toasty oak introduce a big, rich palate of slightly raisiny sweetness, great depth and a long smoky aftertaste.
A perfect fireside wine.