1998 Black Label Merlot Cabernet
Tasting Note The excellent 1998 vintage provided exceptional Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon fruit to produce a wine of intense, vibrant colour. The aromas of berries and blackcurrants are complemented by leathery overtones from 24 months ageing in French and American oak barriques. The palate is full and soft with excellent length of flavour and fine grained tannin balance, which will ensure longevity. Accolades Gold – International Wine & Spirit Competition, 2002 Blue-Gold – Sydney International Wine Competition, 2002 Gold – International Wine & Spirit Competition, 2001 91/100 Points (Top 10) Cuisine Magazine, August 2001 18.5/20 (Gold Medal Standard) Michael Cooper Wine Star, June 2001 5 stars, Cuisine Wine Annual 2001 5 stars, Wine Star Recommendations 2001 Reviews 5 stars, Charmian Smith Jan 2001 "has an indefinable aroma of quality, spicy, earthy ripe fruit, complex, with a seamless, silky texture, berries and cherries, chocolate and coffee bean. Beautifully balanced now, with length, lovely silky but firm tannins, but it will develop with a few years cellaring. One of New Zealand's finest reds" << Return to 'Our Wines' Wine Detail Grape Variety - 55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon Region - Hawke's Bay Wine Analysis Date of Harvest - Merlot, 31st March 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon, 24th April 1998 Brix at Harvest - 23.8° Maturation - 24 months in new French and American Oak Bottling Date - 16th August 2000 Alcohol Volume - 13.5% Acidity - 5.5 g/l pH - 3.67 Cellaring Recommended cellaring of 7-10 years will enhance this full bodied wine.