1998 was described as the the "vintage of the century" for Hawkes Bay by many growers at the time. As time has gone by, some of the wines which showed great potential for development in the cellar have fallen over or reached their peak and are in decline.

This wine is not one of those and is showing good maturity. Our opinion on the night was that it is at its peak now and will continue on that plateau for a few years yet. Served blind, you could be forgiven for thinking it to be a Victorian or Coonawarra wine, so good is the ripeness of the fruit.

The Redmetal description of the wine is as follows:-
A blend of 40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, this wine was handled the same way as the Basket press. It has a little less new oak and a lighter tannin structure as befits an earlier drinking style, but shows the warmth and weight of an outstanding vintage. Ripe plum and berryfruit characters predominate, with warm, round tannins and a soft finish.

Current vintage (2005) is 67% Merlot / 33%Franc blend has ripe, plummy fruit flavours and subtle, integrated oak. The retail price is $21.95, but can be found "on special" at oulets such as VinoFino Christchurch for around $19

For more information on Redmetal, visit http://www.redmetalvineyards.co.nz/