Church Road Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

2020, Hawkes Bay New Zealand

5 Stars & No.1 NZ & International Bordeaux Red (Cuisine magazine 2023) - "Exceptional"
Winner of 4 Gold medals here in NZ and overseas
93/100 (Bob Campbell MW) - "Quite a rich, textural and almost grainy red with blackberry, plum, cassis, smoky oak, dark chocolate/cacao powder, and nutty oak"
High quality Cabernet & Merlot blend from the 2020 Hawke's Bay vintage, aged 20 months in French oak
Dark, dense, bold Hawke's Bay red with big cellaring potential of up to ten years

Formerly known as Church Road’s Reserve range they’ve given the wines a slick, stealth like black label and slapped the word “Grand” in the name. Introducing Church Road Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot!

So that’s the marketing job done, what about the wine? Are they actually Grand? Are they what! These are sheer world class wines, up there with the best you’ll find in Hawke’s Bay. That’s why you’ll only find Church Road wines under this label released in exceptional vintages, from low-cropping vineyard blocks (to ensure more concentrated, ripe flavours), hand-harvested and produced using small batch, traditional techniques.

From the 2020 vintage in Hawke’s Bay this is a dense, dark, bold red full of plummy, spicy flavours – a blend of Merlot (Gimblett Gravels) and Cabernet (from their top Redstone vineyard in the Bridge Pa Triangle) and aged 20 months in French oak.

This was voted No.1 NZ & Bordeaux Red in Cuisine magazine’s annual tasting. The judges said “The nose is incredibly expressive with cassis, dark plums, chocolate and just a touch of cigar box that hints at the beautifully handled oak. Youthful yet rich and brooding this wine expands and coats the palate with sweet juicy fruit, steely acid and wonderful tannin concentration. Exceptional.”

A class act start to finish and with plenty of cellaring potential (up to ten years from vintage) there’s good reason to grab a six pack and enjoy them over the years ahead!