Château Gruaud-Larose, Château Montrose, Château Rauzan-Ségla, Château Trotanoy – these are some of the top names in the world’s largest fine-wine region, Bordeaux. So, what happens if you line them up in a blind tasting (labels hidden), pitching them against several of New Zealand’s most acclaimed, “Bordeaux-style” reds?
The wines – three from Hawke’s Bay, two from Waiheke Island, one from South Auckland, and six from Bordeaux – were nine to 20 years old, and so expected to reveal some of the benefits of maturity. They were all made from traditional red-wine varieties of Bordeaux – cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec and petit verdot.
If you buy these aged wines now, their estimated current value (shown in the reviews) averages $174 for the Hawke’s Bay reds; those from Bordeaux itself average $346 and the Auckland reds average $409.
My top wine was Château Montrose 2005 ($414), a riverside vineyard famous for its forceful, long-lived claret, followed closely by Te Mata Estate Coleraine 2006 ($203). On the night, the reds from Hawke’s Bay shone for their quality and – especially – value.
Te Mata Coleraine 2006
★★★★★
Breed is the hallmark of this Hawke’s Bay red, grown in the Havelock North hills. A blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, it has a welcoming fragrance and deep blackcurrant, plum, red berry and spice flavours, finely textured and harmonious. (13.5% alc/vol) $203
Stonyridge Larose 2014
★★★★★
This Waiheke Island red is a classic, cabernet sauvignon-based style. Dark, with deep blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, it is full-bodied, energetic, savoury and refined. (14.1% alc/vol) $378
Esk Valley The Terraces 2013
★★★★★
From a hill site at Bay View, where malbec and merlot dominate plantings, this is an arrestingly bold Hawke’s Bay red. Still purple flushed, it is sturdy, dark and dense, with a powerful surge of blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours. (14.5% alc/vol) $140
Villa Maria Ngakirikiri The Gravels 2013
★★★★★
Villa Maria’s youthful, “icon” red was grown in the Gimblett Gravels, Hawke’s Bay. Cabernet sauvignon-based, it is dark and mouthfilling, with notably rich, ripe blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours. (14% alc/vol) $179
Puriri Hills Pope 2013
★★★★½
This elegant, merlot-based blend was grown at Clevedon, in South Auckland. Fragrant and lively, with fresh acidity and concentrated red berry, plum and spice flavours, it should be at its best 2030-plus. (14% alc/vol) $250
Destiny Bay Magna Praemia 2006
★★★★½
This Waiheke Island red is a cabernet sauvignon-based blend. Fragrant, savoury and spicy, it is a more earthy style than other New Zealand reds in the line-up, with finely balanced tannins and excellent complexity. Ready now. (13.6% alc/vol) $600
