A beautifully structured Bordeaux from the hallowed gravels of Pessac-Leognan. The fruit grows on a 40ha site with Gűnz gravel from the Quaternary period located on the plateau above the village of Martillac with a distribution of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The vines are planted at a density of 7200 per hectare.

This vintage is 60% Merlot – 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and offers a deep, dense, purple colour in the glass. The nose is intense and aromatic, with red and black fruits, spicy liquorice and gentle smoky notes. The palate is at once, powerful and fresh with well-rounded tannins leading to along and lush finish. 

Vineyards
- The McKenzie vineyard is located in Waipara close to the winery. The vineyard is a free draining terrace site. The average age of vines varies from 16 years or older.

Wine Making
- All hand harvested in late April and early May
- Harvest brix ranged from 22-23 brix [% sugar]
- Fermentation was in small vessels [1500L] 3 day cool soak, inoculated with yeast,
fermentation varies from 4-6 days peaking at 32 C then allowed 7-10 days on skins. Some components were given extended skin contact up to 28 days.
- Pressing was in traditional Basket Press
- Cooperage was a mixture of French barrels ranging in age from new to 6+ years. Duration is approx 18 months
- Malo lactic [ML] fermentation is natural starting in Spring and the wine is racked and has a SO2 addition once ML complete.
- Bottling is through 1 micron filter

Bottle Details
- Alcohol 13.0 % by volume
- Acid is 5.5 gm/L [as tartaric]
- Volatile Acidity is 0.45 gm/L
- Residual Sugar is < 1 gm/L

Commercial description

Bordering the old Waiheke Air Strip this vineyard produces world-class Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot.

Planted when their children were barely walking, John and Paul Dunleavy’s vines have matured over two decades and, like their children, bring their own unique character to this wine.

Aged in barrels for 10 months, but made in a forward, fruit driven style to be enjoyed in youth, The Strip will continue to improve over time with careful cellaring.

Chateau du Tertre Margaux is one of the estate’s flagship wines. It is silky and elegant, yet powerful and concentrated. The palate is fruit forward with excellent texture, tannin and balance. This wine will age very well in the cellar but is already drinking excellently.

The best parcels of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot Bordeaux varietals are selected from the Gimblett Gravels Vineyard and blended to make the richly layered and precisely constructed ‘Sophia’.

Commercial description 2020 vintage

It has an alluring deep purple tone.  The nose is a volley of dark, earthy, and savoury notes, meshed on a lavish and complex canvas.  Black forest fruit, mushroom, aged soy, and smoked game, bolstered with hints of liquorice, mixed spice, eucalyptus, and a whisp of tree moss.  The palate is rugged and coiled, showcasing bold tannins and exhilarating acidity that converge to create a formidable backbone.  Decadent fruit weight and impressive concentration play the perfect support role, giving balance and harmony, ensuring the wine remains expansive and richly textured throughout its sustained and lasting finish.

Grape varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting notes:

Deep ruby red colour with violet highlights. Fruit driven with aromas of black cherry and blueberry. Delicate notes of mint, black pepper and liquorice appear when agitated. Good texture on the palate with ripe tannins. Long finish. Full, fresh, dense and silky mouthfeel.

Food matches: Tuna in red wine sauce, steak “Bordelaise” grilled on vine stalks, Pyreneens cheese with dark cherry marmalade; Serve between 16° and 18° C.

Winemaking: Traditional winemaking methods with a minimum of 6 months of ageing in French oak barrels. De-stalked grapes – alcoholic fermentation in vats at high temperature (30-32°C) with daily pumping over – maceration (3 weeks) – malolactic fermentation in vats.

Soil: Sandy and gravelly.
Climate: Oceanic, mild and humid.
Aging: The wine is aged in French oak barrels for 6 months.

Traditional vinification is carried out in cement vats. Vatting lasts for between 20 and 30 days, depending on the vintage and, after the malolactic fermentation, the wines go into barrel (one-third renewed every year) and remain there for 12 months. The final selection of which wines will go to make the final blend for Château Angludet is made in the following February or March. The process of selection is strict (as only the best wines can be included) and is done by a series of tastings. Once the final blend has been done, the wine is fined with egg whites and very lightly filtered before bottling. Drink 2023-2035.

Puriri Hills makes luxurious blended red wines inspired by the grand crus of Pomerol and St Émilion, on the right bank of Bordeaux, France.
Established in 1996, Puriri Hills is a privately owned vineyard founded by Judy Fowler. We make “estate bottled” wine exclusively from the Clevedon Vineyard and embrace a sustainable and authentic expression of terroir.

Climbing from the Clevedon Valley floor carved out by the Wairoa River, up to the ancient river terraces, you find the vineyard. Puriri Hills takes its name from the native Puriri trees growing on the 93 acre property that encircle and protect the 5.5 acres of vines.

84% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium red fruits and some earth, spice and leather undertones on the nose call to mind classic Bordeaux. The palate is medium-bodied and pleasantly weighty without being overpowering. Fresh and accessible, but also showing complex structure that speaks to the very talented winemaker behind this release, and the precisely-judged blend of five distinct varietals.

This blend of 66% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon shows off a bright deep red colour with purple reflections. Red fruit aroma dominate the nose overlayed with subtle peppermint notes. Balanced and smooth with fine tannins, this is classic Bordeaux in style with a spicy rich finish.

A lovely traditionally styled left bank Bordeaux from a Cru Bourgeois property in the north of Medoc. The vines were fully replanted in the late 70's with 47% Cabernet, 45% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc and 3% Petit Verdot and the wine offers lovely concentrated dark bramble fruits with beautifully integrated tannins and acid.

Fleshy, soft, smooth Merlot from Pays D'Oc in the south of France. Beautiful youthful red made for immediate consumption with satisfying depth of ripe plum flavours supported by moderate oak support for complex flavour notes and a lingering finish. Made with grapes grown on the slopes of the Orb Valley and Herald's Valley in the south of France. 

Great value for money.

Savoury, structured and classically beautiful Bordeaux which drinks beautifully with complex black olive, dried herb and fragrant dark fruit flavours now; made from 48% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Cabernet Franc. 

Chateau Magnol has 31 hectares of grapes in the Haut-Médoc, west of the city of Bordeaux and has gravel as well as sandy soils in its vineyards. It has gained the classification of Cru Bourgeois, which this commandingly impressive wine more than lives up to.