The Stolen Heart, Merlot Malbec, 2014

Dense inky purple colour Intense aromas of dark berry fruit and chocolate, with spice and warm earth highlights. Bold and powerful on the palate with concentrated flavours of blueberry, dark plum and cocoa. Fine tannins give definition and length to this robust and succulent wine.

The Stolen Heart, Syrah, 2013

On the nose - complex savoury and earthy aromas of truffle and black olives with a note of garrigues (sun-baked wild herbs) overlaid with dark fruits. On the palate the wine provides a voluptuous combination of ripe blackcurrant fruit, cured meats, vanilla and smooth tannins. Long and lingering finish.

Robert M. Parker Jr.

An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines

Bob Campbell

Merlot Malbec

93 Points

Rich, dense red with red-fleshed plum, dark berry, liquorice, chocolate, mocha and nutty oak flavours. A chewy and quite powerful red that can be appreciate now but should age well in bottle.

Michael Cooper

Merlot Malbec

4.5 Stars

Densely packed and youthful, the 2014 vintage (4.5*) is a Gimblett Gravels, Hawke's Bay blend of Merlot (78 per cent) and Malbec (16 per cent), with splashes of Cabernet Franc (3 per cent) and Syrah (3 per cent). Deeply coloured, it is fresh and full-bodied, with vibrant, plummy, spicy flavours, finely integrated oak, good tannin backbone, and excellent ripeness and depth. Best drinking 2018+.

Cabernet Merlot

4.5 Stars

Certified organic, the 2014 vintage (4.5*) was grown in the Gimblett Gravels and matured for a year in French oak casks (30 per cent new). Deep and youthful in colour, it is medium-bodied and savoury, in a distinctly Bordeaux-like style with fresh, ripe blackcurrant, plum, spice and herb flavours, seasoned with nutty oak, good complexity, firm tannins and obvious cellaring potential. Best drinking 2019+.

Syrah

4 Stars

The 2013 vintage (4*) is a medium-bodied red, grown in the Gimblett Gravels and matured for a year in French oak casks (30 per cent new). Full-coloured, with fresh, peppery aromas, it is still youthful, with excellent depth of plummy, spicy, slightly nutty flavours, oak complexity and firm tannins. Best drinking 2018+.

Sam Kim

Merlot Malbec

94 Points

This is instantly appealing on the nose showing dark plum, dried cherry, cedar, black olive and dark chocolate characters, leading to a powerful palate that is filled with delectable flavours, wonderfully supported by silky texture and supple tannins. The wine is generous and flavoursome, and offers terrific drinking. 

Cabernet Merlot

94 Points

The wine combines gorgeous fruit richness with attractive savoury complexity, displaying blackcurrant, cigar box, floral, cocoa and smoked game aromas on the nose, followed by a beautifully weighted palate that is fleshy and expansive. The wine delivers plenty of delicious flavours, brilliantly structured by fine, chalky tannins.

Syrah

93 Points

An impressively complex offering from the Gimblett Gravels district, the lifted bouquet shows dark fruit, mixed berry compote, earthy mushroom, leather and cedar characters. The palate is full and plump, and offers lovely sweet fruit intensity together with deep savoury undertones, wonderfully framed by fine, delicately drying tannins. A sturdy, Old World-inspired rendition with gorgeous complexity.

Raymond Chan

Merlot Malbec

5 Stars (18.5/20)

Full, dark, black-hued red colour near impenetrable.  This has a full, broad and gently voluminous nose with well-packed ripe fruit aromas of black plums and black-berried fruits, along with subtle layers of herbs interwoven with liquorice and spice notes, and iron-earth elements.  Medium-full bodied, the palate is fulsome with rich, ripe and softly sweet flavours of black plums and black berried fruits harmoniously melded with notes of liquorice, spices, herbs and earth.  The fruit is balanced and supported by considerable extraction, the tannins fine-grained and powdery.  A thread of background acidity is present, providing energy.  The wine carries to a long, firm-textured, but plush, black-fruited and earthy finish.  This is a fulsome, ripe black plum and berry fruited Merlot/Malbec with iron-earth layers on a rounded, well-structured palate.  Match with game meat and casseroles over the next 7-9 years.  

Cabernet Merlot

5 Stars (18.5/20)

Very dark, deep, near impenetrable black-hued purple-red colour, a little lighter on the rim.  The nose is full and harmoniously concentrated with ripe fruit aromas of blackcurrants, blackberries and black plums, entwined with notes of dark herbs and cassis, and suggestions of iron-earth.  Medium-full bodied, the palate has rich and well-concentrated flavours of ripe and sweetly rich blackcurrants, blackberries and plums, with mineral and iron-earth interest, unfolding liquorice elements.  The fruit richness is balanced by fine-grained tannin extraction with integrated acidity that allows the fruit to prevail.  The palate structure has drive and carries the wine to a long, lingering finish of blackcurrants, blackberries, plums and liquorice.  This is a rich, ripe Cabernet/Merlot blend with blackcurrant, blackberry, plum and liquorice flavours along with mineral and earthy detail, on a fine-grained, well-extracted palate.  Match with roasted lamb, beef and venison over the next 7-10 years.

Syrah

4 Stars (18/20)

Full, even, black-red colour with youthful purple hues.  The bouquet is firm and tightly-packed with aromas of ripe blackberry fruit along with black pepper and spice elements, unfolding notes of violet and black florals, iron-earth and minerally reduction.  Medium-full bodied, the palate is rich with ripe and aromatic fruit flavours of blackberries, black pepper and spices, along with minerally reduction and iron-earth elements.  The mouthfeel is firm and textured with considerable grainy tannin extraction, with underlying acidity that carries the wine to a strong, long finish of black fruits, spices and earthy, minerally elements.  This is a firm, robust and well-structured, grainy-textured Syrah with rich black fruits, spices, florals and some minerally reduction.  Serve with slow-cooked game meats and hard cheeses over the next 8-10+ years.