Impression Red Reviews
2020
95/100 Outstanding – Camdouglasms.com
Master Sommelier – Cameron Douglas
Ripe, pure and very enticing bouquet of black berry fruits and dark plums, sweet toasty barrel spices and violets. There’s a mix of clay and stone earthy scents and a brooding power. Lovely weight and tension on the palate, core fruit flavours mirror the bouquet with tannins and acidity delivering a youthful tautness. Barrel and fruit flavours fill the mid palate perfectly, a wine of substance and power with best drinking from 2025 through 2035.
2019
4.5 STARS – Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines
Wine Writer – Michael Cooper
Already drinking well, the 2019 vintage (4.5*) is a Hawke’s Bay blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, matured for 18 months in French oak barrels, then bottled unfined and unfiltered. Full-coloured, with a fragrant, slightly herbal bouquet, it is mouthfilling and supple, with generous, berryish, plummy flavours, oak complexity and gentle tannins. It’s still unfolding; drink now or cellar
89/100 – The Real Review
Bob Campbell – Master of Wine
A blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. It’s a fresh, lively red with red fruits, floral, spice and fresh herb flavours with a firm acid and tannin backbone that should mellow with bottle age
2018
92/100 – The Real Review
Bob Campbell – Master of Wine
A blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. An elegant, yet intense red with plum, dark berry, wood-smoke, liquorice, anise and spicy oak flavours. Accessible now but should age well
4.5 STARS – Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines
Wine Writer – Michael Cooper
The generous 2018 vintage (4.5*) is a Hawke’s Bay blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, matured for 18 months in French oak barrels, then bottled unfined and unfiltered. An elegant, deeply coloured red, it is full-bodied and finely balanced, with good concentration of fresh blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, and nutty, savoury notes…
2017
92/100 – The Real Review
Bob Campbell – Master of Wine
Delicately aromatic blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc with mixed berry, fresh herb, and subtle floral and violet flavours. Very approachable. Made with a light touch. A clever wine from a tricky vintage.
4.5 STARS – 2021 Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines
Wine Writer – Michael Cooper
The vibrant 2017 vintage (4*) is a rare (1,323 bottles) Hawke’s Bay blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, matured for 18 months in French oak barrels, then bottled unfined and unfiltered. Deeply coloured, with an attractive, spicy fragrance, it is fresh and fruit-packed, with generous plum, berry and spice flavours, oak complexity and finely balanced tannins. Already enjoyable, it should be at its best 2022+.
2016
4.5 STARS – 2019 Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines
Wine Writer – Michael Cooper
This distinctive, attractive blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc is full-coloured, with a fragrant, berryish, slightly herbal bouquet. Medium to full-bodied, it is vibrantly fruity, with strong plum, red berry and spice flavours, showing good complexity, and fine-grained tannins. Highly enjoyable.
New Zealand Herald – 2018 Viva Magazine
Emma Jenkins – Master of Wine
A perfumed fruit-rich red with structured brambly dark berries and plums, fine-grained tannins and a long, elegant finish.
92/100 – The Real Review
Bob Campbell – Master of Wine
Smooth-textured and moderately dense red dark berry, cedar and subtle crushed herb flavours that are so well integrated it’s difficult to define individual flavours. The wine is more vinous than fruity. Great value.
2015
4 STARS – 2018 Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines
Wine Writer – Michael Cooper
Already drinking well, the 2015 vintage (4****) is a blend of Merlot (55 per cent), Cabernet Sauvignon (25 per cent), and Cabernet Franc (20 per cent). Matured for 18 months in seasoned French oak barrels, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. It is full-coloured and mouthfilling, with ripe berry, plum and spice flavours, showing good complexity, and gentle tannins. Still youthfull, it should be at its best 2019+.
2014
4 STARS – 2018 Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines
Wine Writer – Michael Cooper
Enjoyable now but worth cellaring, full-coloured, it is mouth-filling, with generous, plummy, slightly earthy and nutty flavours, showing good freshness and complexity, and a well-rounded finish.
2012
4 STARS – 2014 Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines
Wine Writer – Michael Cooper
Full-coloured, it is mouth filling and fleshy, with blackcurrant, plum and slight tamarillo flavours, seasoned with spicy oak, and excellent texture and complexity. From a difficult season, it’s a very good effort
