Hawke’s Bay is our second-largest and second-oldest wine region, but for several classic red wine varieties, it is clearly No 1.
Pinot noir dominates from Wairarapa south, in our regions classified as “cool-climate” for winegrowing purposes. But in the relative warmth of Hawke’s Bay, later-ripening grape varieties, notably cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and malbec, have long flourished.
Syrah (the Aussies call it shiraz) is the latest star, possessing rich, vibrant blackcurrant, plum and black-pepper flavours with an enticingly floral bouquet. Other prized European grapes, such as Italy’s sangiovese and Spain’s tempranillo, are adding even more diversity and excitement.
Askerne Reserve Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
★★★★½
Well worth cellaring, this is a deeply coloured, barrel-matured blend of merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon with a splash of malbec. Full-bodied, it has generous, ripe, plummy, spicy flavours, showing good complexity, and a smooth finish. $27-$37
Babich Winemakers’ Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2020
★★★★★
Grown in the Irongate Vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels, this is a dark, powerful, sturdy red, with rich, well-ripened berry, plum and spice flavours, finely integrated oak, and fine, supple tannins. Still youthful, it’s very ageworthy. (14.5% alc/vol) $35
Bilancia Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2021
★★★★½
Already enjoyable, this refined, youthful red has dark, purple-flushed colour and a fragrant, fresh and peppery bouquet. Mouthfilling and supple, it has deep, ripe blackcurrant, plum, spice and black-pepper flavours in a strongly varietal style, with a finely balanced, long finish. $33-$40
Black Barn Vineyards Hawke’s Bay Sangiovese 2020
★★★★★
This youthful, single-vineyard red is from Italy’s most widely planted red-wine variety (think Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino). Full-coloured, it is mouthfilling, with concentrated, ripe flavours of plums and spices, oak-ageing complexity, fresh acidity and firm tannins beneath. A vigorous, savoury wine, it is well worth cellaring. $50
Brookfields Hawke’s Bay Sun Dried Malbec 2021
★★★★½
Promoted as “malbec on steroids”, this red is from grapes that have been sun-dried to concentrate their sugars and flavours. Already enjoyable, it is boldly coloured and mouthfilling, with concentrated, ripe blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, supple tannins and a smooth, harmonious finish. $27
Church Road McDonald Series Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020
★★★★½
Drinking well now, but still unfolding, this full-coloured red has a fragrant, spicy bouquet. Mouthfilling, it has generous plum and black-pepper flavours seasoned with nutty oak, excellent complexity and harmony and a well-rounded finish. $27
Coopers Creek Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2020
★★★★★
This impressive red is Coopers Creek’s first reserve merlot since 1998. Grown in “the Bay’s top two premium red wine-producing sub-regions” (presumably the Gimblett Gravels and the Bridge Pā Triangle), it is powerful, dark and weighty, with concentrated blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, complex and savoury, and good tannin backbone. Still very youthful, it should be long lived. $50
Decibel Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2020
★★★★½
This bold, vigorous red was grown in the Bridge Pā Triangle. Dark and purple-flushed, it is full-bodied, fresh and fruit-packed, with strong ripe-plum, spice and blackcurrant flavours, and a distinctly spicy finish. Still very youthful, it should be at its best mid-2024+. $32
Delta Hatters Hill Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Franc 2021
★★★★½
This highly attractive, single-vineyard, barrel-aged red has deep, youthful colour. Fragrant, it has rich, ripe berry, plum and spice flavours showing very good complexity, and lots of youthful vigour. Best drinking 2025+. $30-$35
Elephant Hill Hawke’s Bay Le Phant Rouge 2021
★★★★½
Drinking well in its youth, this is a full-coloured blend of six varieties – principally merlot and syrah, with smaller portions of tempranillo, malbec, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. “Lightly oaked for 12 months”, it is a generous, very harmonious wine, mouthfilling, vibrantly fruity and supple. Strong, plummy, spicy flavours, and savoury notes add complexity. $26
Esk Valley Gimblett Gravels Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec 2021
★★★★½
Offering great value, this merlot-based blend (59%) was matured in oak barrels and stainless-steel tanks. Deeply coloured, it is full-bodied and supple, with good concentration of ripe blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, fresh acidity, and a smooth, finely poised finish. Best drinking 2025+. $20
Hopesgrove Estate Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2021
★★★★
This bright ruby, single-vineyard red was hand-picked from a site southwest of Hastings and Havelock North. A graceful wine, it is mouthfilling and supple, with strong ripe-cherry and spice flavours gently seasoned with nutty oak, and fresh acidity. Best drinking 2024+. $30
Lake Chalice The Falcon Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2020
★★★½
Priced right, this full-coloured red has fresh, berryish, spicy aromas. Partly barrel-aged, it is mouthfilling, with good depth of lively berry, plum and spice flavours in a moderately complex style with some savoury notes. $19
Mills Reef Elspeth Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
★★★★★
Likely to age well for a decade, this powerful, youthful red was matured for 17 months in French oak barrels. Deeply coloured, it is mouthfilling, vibrant and supple in a clearly varietal style, with concentrated, beautifully ripe blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, complex and savoury, and a long, finely poised finish. $50
Mission Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2021
★★★★½
Offering fine value, this very ageworthy red was matured for a year in French oak barrels. Deeply coloured, it is sturdy, with concentrated, ripe blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours showing good complexity, and a well-structured, fairly firm finish. Best drinking mid-2025+. $25
Monowai Upper Reaches Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2020
★★★★½
Who says Hawke’s Bay can’t produce stylish, convincing pinot noir? Estate-grown inland at Crownthorpe, this bright-ruby red is full-bodied and vibrantly fruity, with generous cherry and spice flavours, finely balanced oak, and excellent depth, vigour and complexity. Best drinking 2024+. $35
Paritua Stone Paddock Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2020
★★★★½
Offering fine value, this highly attractive, youthful red was estate-grown in the Bridge Pā Triangle and barrel-aged. Full-coloured and fragrant, it is mouthfilling and smooth, with concentrated, ripe berry, plum and spice flavours. Gently seasoned with oak, it has considerable complexity and excellent richness and harmony. $24
Pask Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2021
★★★★ - visit www.pask.co.nz
This good-value, energetic and youthful red spent more than a year in seasoned French oak casks. Full-coloured, it is mouthfilling and smooth, with strong, plummy, spicy flavours gently seasoned with nutty oak, good complexity, and ripe, supple tannins. Best drinking mid-2024+. $22
Radburnd Hawke’s Bay Merlot/Cabernet 2020
★★★★★
This classy red was grown in the Bridge Pā Triangle and Gimblett Gravels. Harvested from mature vines, it is a blend of merlot (60%) and cabernet sauvignon (40%), matured for 20 months in French oak barriques (new and one year old). A savoury, distinctly Bordeaux-like red, it has generous, ripe-blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours seasoned with nutty oak, refined tannins, and a silky-textured, lingering finish. Subtle, notably graceful and harmonious, it should be at its best 2027+. $85
Redmetal Vineyards Bridge Pā Triangle Syrah 2022
★★★★
This deep-ruby red is mouthfilling, vibrantly fruity and smooth. It has generous, ripe, plummy, gently spicy flavours, a hint of toasty oak, plus very good depth and harmony. Drink now or cellar. $25
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2020
★★★★★ - visit www.saintclair.co.nz
This mouthfilling red has a fragrant, spicy bouquet. Full-coloured and concentrated, it has blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, fresh acidity, and excellent ripeness and complexity. Savoury and supple, it is still youthful and well worth cellaring to 2025+. $38
Shed Five Thirty Estate Hawke’s Bay Woolshed Red 2021
★★★★½
This blend of merlot, malbec and cabernet sauvignon delivers good value. Full-coloured, it is mouthfilling and sweet-fruited, with a good concentration of berry, plum and spice flavours, a hint of liquorice, and ripe, supple tannins. Drink now or cellar. $27
Smith & Sheth Cru Heretaunga Syrah 2021
★★★★★
Dark and purple-flushed, this hand-harvested Gimblett Gravels and Mangatahi red was aged in French oak barriques. Mouthfilling, it is still very youthful, with fresh, concentrated plum and black-pepper flavours gently seasoned with oak, and excellent density, vigour and structure. Best drinking 2026+. $40
Squawking Magpie Gimblett Gravels Stoned Crow Syrah 2020
★★★★★
This elegant, vigorous, single-vineyard red was hand-picked and matured for up to 20 months in French oak barrels. Full-coloured, it is mouthfilling, with strong, ripe-plum, spice and black-pepper flavours, complex and savoury, supple tannins and excellent harmony. Still very fresh and youthful, it’s well worth cellaring. $50
Stables Reserve Ngatarawa Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2021
★★★½
Bargain-priced, this oak-aged red is full-coloured and mouthfilling, with very good depth of vibrant dark-berry and spice flavours, a touch of complexity, ripe, supple tannins and a smooth finish. $16
Stonecroft Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Serine Syrah 2021
★★★★½
Certified organic, this strongly varietal red was estate-grown, hand-picked and aged for more than 18 months in seasoned French oak barrels. Designed as a serious, ageworthy wine that is approachable young, it is full-coloured and fragrant, with vibrant plum and black-pepper flavours showing good concentration, fresh acidity and supple tannins. Still youthful, it should be at its best 2025+. $33
Te Mata Estate Hawke’s Bay Merlot/Cabernets 2021
★★★★½ - visit www.temata.co.nz/product/merlot-cabernets/
This is a highly attractive blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon, with cabernet franc (8%) in a supporting role. Estate-grown, it was matured for a year in French oak barrels. Deeply coloured, it is fragrant and full-bodied, with fresh, very generous blackcurrant, plum, herb and spice flavours gently seasoned with oak, and excellent vigour, structure and depth. Best drinking 2025+. $24
Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Tempranillo 2021
★★★★★
This classy, youthful red was made from a traditional Spanish variety, best known as the star grape of Rioja. Weighty and brambly, it is deeply coloured and fragrant, with rich blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, earthy, savoury notes adding complexity, good tannin backbone and a well-structured finish. (14.5% alc/vol) $40
Unison … and Relax 2022
★★★★ - visit www.unisonvineyard.co.nz
Offering easy drinking, this syrah-based red was made to be served at ambient temperature or chilled, as a “nouveau wine, ready for summer”. Grown in the Gimblett Gravels, it is deep ruby, with a floral, spicy bouquet. Medium to full-bodied, it has excellent depth of plummy, spicy flavour, supple tannins and a smooth, lingering finish. (12.4% alc/vol) $22
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2021
★★★★★
This highly ageworthy red has dark, purple-flushed colour. Full-bodied, it is concentrated and youthful, with deep, ripe-blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, excellent complexity, fairly firm tannins, and the density and structure to mature well for 15+ years. $50
Note: all wines are 13-14% alc/vol, unless stated otherwise.
