New Zealand Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon Blends

Structured, powerful, approachable. The structure and finesse of New Zealand Cabernet Sauvignon meets the vibrant fruit expression of our Merlot.

New Zealand winemakers craft elegant, yet powerfully intense, red wine blends by augmenting the structure and finesse of Cabernet Sauvignon with the full, ripe fruit of Merlot.

Increasingly Merlot dominant and notable for their purity of fruit expression, these blends are exciting and approachable when enjoyed young, but are also worth holding onto, as they acquire complexity with age.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blends have a long history in New Zealand, dating back to the mid-1800s.

Today over 90% of plantings are found in Hawke’s Bay and Auckland.

“The best of these wines offer the complexity developed over life-spans of a decade or more and the plush tannins for near-immediate gratification.”
Joe Czerwinski, Wine Enthusiast, USA

Climate is a major factor in defining regional styles

Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon blends are predominantly grown in the warmer regions of Auckland, Northland and Hawke’s Bay which benefit from extended heat accumulation due to lower diurnal temperature variation.

Hawke's Bay

The wines benefit from Hawke’s Bay diversity of soils, river terraces comprising of volcanic loess, alluvial silts and deep river gravels. Merlot based reds are rich and plummy in their youth, acquiring complex characters with age.

Cabernet Sauvignon predominant reds are well structured and display classic blackcurrant and spice flavours, often with a touch of mint.

Auckland

Top blends of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon often include small proportions of Cabernet Franc and Malbec and, less frequently, Petit Verdot. Auckland’s finest Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon blends rank among New Zealand’s most prestigious reds.

Food matching

A superb food wine, these blends are notable for their purity of fruit expression. They are approachable when young, or complex, leathery and gamey with age.

Delicious partnered with red meats and game or winter casseroles, and sumptuous with a strong cheese.