Mills Reef Reserve Cabernet Merlot

Charles Mills – sea captain, gold miner and former Member of Parliament and Minister of Trade & Custom 1890-1908. He’s a bit of a legend in the family tree of the name behind this iconic Hawke’s Bay producer, so you can see why they ended up naming their wines after him. As for the reef bit, nothing to do with anything he smoked but everything to do with how he spent his days – watching for reefs at sea and mining for reefs of gold.

Although their vineyards are mostly based in Hawke’s Bay their vineyard is actually just out out of Tauranga – and it’s flash as! Twenty aces of landscaped grounds, wine making and bottling facilities, an underground cellar, 150-seat restuarant and conference centre – and quite the spot to get hitched at!

Using classic Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon (77%) and  Merlot (23%) from their prized Gimblett Gravels vineyards and aged in high quality oak for 18 months before release. This is a rich, dark fruited Hawke’s Bay red (think plums, blackcurrant and cassis!) with a touch of spice and a silky smooth texture.

The guys at Mills Reef had this to say about it “A rich full bodied wine, this traditional blend exudes intense blackcurrant, blackberry and plum flavours, layered with mocha, cassis and spicy cedary oak. Ageing in quality oak has conferred a velvety smooth texture, providing the blend with great structure and length.”

If you’re a lover of the “Bordeaux” style red this is an absolute must try and with good cellaring potential there’s plenty of reason to grab a case and drink ’em over the next 5-6 years.