Church Road McDonald Series Merlot

Church Road’s wine label celebrating the life of wine legend Tom McDonald (some call him the “Father of red wine in New Zealand”). Whatever Church Road are doing to their Merlot grapes down there in the Bay, it’s working a treat. This is a label that’s won an embarrassing number of gongs down the years. They’re certainly sticking their hands up as one of the finest Merlot producers in NZ!

Tom McDonald was a spotty faced teenager in 1921 when his career in wine kicked off. Over the next 55 years he turned winemaking in Hawke’s Bay on its head, scooping many accolades for his premium, complex Chardonnay and Bordeaux-style reds. You don’t get awarded the Order of the British Empire for nothing you know!

Scoring a seriously impressive 95/100 and Gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London, the judges said “Deeply concentrated dark plums and violets with a lick of chocolate, vanilla and clove and an inherent Merlot softness which plays out towards the warming tobacco finish.”

Being a bloke that appreciated French winemaking techniques this kind of serious, full bodied Merlot would’ve left Tom grinning from ear to ear. Great with hearty game and red meat dishes and will cellar for the next decade.