Winemaker Notes
Te Kahu means 'the cloak' in te reo Maori and refers to the mist that envelops Giants Winery in the Tukituki Valley. Legend has it that this mist was used to protect a mythical Maori maiden from the sun as she visited her lover Te Mata.
Blend: 63% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon,14% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec
Professional Ratings
-
Decanter
This was a wine which convinced our judges that all the hard work that has gone into Bordeaux varieties (alongside Syrah) in Gimblett Gravels is beginning to pay off. It's a very dark black-red in color, and the 63% of Merlot sings out in its soft, seductive black-cherry and black-plum fruits. The soft wealth on the palate is very impressive too, without any rigid acidity and backed in this case by some discreetly textured but impressively flavored tannins (a touch of graphite and coal dust). It's sappy and vinous towards the end: real 'pleasure wine', yet never simple. Drink 2019-2025
-
James Suckling
Brambly plums and vanilla-lead spices, as well as notes of cedary oak. There’s also a stony edge to this. The palate has plump, fleshy fruit, backed by some grainy tannins that weigh in amid smooth plums and mulberries. Espresso-tinged finish. A blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, petit verdot and malbec. Drink in 2021. Screw cap.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
An eclectic region on the east coast of the North Island, Hawkes Bay extends from wide, fertile, coastal plains, inland, to the coast range, whose peaks reach as high as 5,300 feet. While the flatter areas were historically more popular because they are easier to cultivate, their alluvial soils can be too fertile for vines. In the late 20th century, the drive for quality led growers to the hills where soils are free-draining, limestone-rich and more suited to producing high quality wines.
Over the passing of time, the old Ngaruroro River laid down deep, gravelly beds, which were subsequently exposed after a huge flood in the 1860’s. In the 1980s growers identified this stretch, which continues for approximately 800 ha, and named it the Gimblett Gravels. The zone has proven to be ideal for the production of excellent red wines, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.
Today the area takes well-earned recognition for its Bordeaux blends and other reds. Expressive of intense stewed red and black berry with gentle herbaceous characters, Gimblett Gravels wines are suggestive of their cool climate origin, and on par with other top-notch Bordeaux blends around the globe.
Chardonnay is the top white grape in Hawkes Bay, making elegant wines, strong in stone fruit character. Sauvignon blanc comes in close behind, notable for its tropical, fruit forward qualities.