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It's been called The Judgement of Taupo, a tasting held by Scenic Cellars, a wine shop in Taupo, in conjunction with wines from the Gimblett Gravels subregion of Hawkes Bay. Taupo is an hour and a half's drive, at legal road speeds, from the famed winegrowing district. Six Gimblett Gravels wines from the 2005 vintage were pitted against six classed growth Bordeaux from the same harvest year. Surprise, surprise when a Gimblett Gravels wine took the top vote.
Sacred Hill Broken Stone Merlot 2006, although three years on from vintage, is still such a young wine. It is rustic red in the glass, almost opaque. Smoky oak on the nose is infused with predominantly red and more subtle black fruits as well as dried herbs and a hint of liquorice. A concentrated full-bodied red with a savoury, dark oak attack, it becomes quite creamy and chocolatey in the palate. Laden with fruit - blackberry, blueberry, raspberry spring to mind - it is momentarily like blackberry ice cream (without the cold and the sugary sweetness) along with sweet vanillin oak, mocha and liquorice. Tannins are firm, acidity is poking it head out a bit and the finish seems well-balanced, rich and savoury. Overall the attack is smooth with the wine gently caressing the mouth and slowly, but surely, seducing the palate.
Sacred Hill Broken Stone Merlot 2006 is sealed with a screwcap. It spent 18 months in French oak and has 14% alcohol by volume according to the label. It costs approximately £35 a bottle. My rating : 5 stars. Sue Courtney www.wineoftheweek.com
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