Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Cabernet Merlot

A full-bodied, richly flavoured Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Merlot, with a defined taste combining ripe berries and wild plums.

The grapes come from carefully selected vineyards in Gimblett Gravels, in the Hawke’s Bay wine district on New Zealand’s North Island. The moderately rich, free-draining gravel-based soils provide a wonderful foundation for low-yielding Merlot. These vineyard sites offer ideal ripening conditions, developing pronounced berry aromas and, above all, well-balanced tannin structure.
Grape ripening is carefully monitored, and the grapes are harvested in the cool of the evening at the peak of flavour and optimal physiological maturity.
After destemming, the berries were cold-macerated for five days to maximise flavour and stabilise the colour. Once fermentation began, the cap was mixed by hand and occasionally wetted to extract the fullest possible tannins, colour and flavour. After fermentation was complete, the young wine remained in contact with the skins and was tasted daily to determine the optimal level of extraction. After racking and pressing, the wine was aged in used French oak barrels, where malolactic fermentation took place. Once the right balance of age had been achieved, the wine was finished and carefully prepared for bottling.

A dry red cuvée (67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot) from Gimblett Gravels in Marlborough pairs beautifully with grilled beef steak, roast lamb, or slow-cooked beef ragù. It also complements fuller-flavoured cheeses such as Gouda or Cheddar, as well as vegetable dishes like grilled vegetables or tomato pasta. Thanks to its balanced structure and fruity notes, it’s also ideal with spicy dishes or game.

This family winery, founded in 1994,
is a pioneer in the Marlborough region.
It is now one of New Zealand’s leading
wineries, with award-winning wines year after year.