When it comes to Australian Merlot, Katnook is among the very best. Lovely plum dark berry and cedary cigar box characters slip seamlessly into a finish that seems everlasting. Aged for 22 months in French oak, the swathes of blackcurrant are a delight to the senses.

A pale straw colour with vivid green hues. Gunflint, almond and lemon zest characterise the aroma. The wine has a steely edged structure and the mid-palate is filled with white peach and oyster-shell flavours. It draws into a long, spicy finish.

The 2024 vintage delivered beautifully ripe, small-berried fruit. In the glass, it’s deeply coloured with heady aromas of red plum, raspberry, rose petal, and spice. The palate is silky and seductive on entry, building to a surprisingly long, structured finish.

This limited release Merlot is produced from a 5 star Halliday rated winery, Parker Coonawarra Estate. The wine reflect the stylistic approach to creating beautiful wines from the rich terra rossa soils of the Coonawarra region. The Merlot combines dark cherries and plums, dusted with a hint of tobacco. This wine is savoury and lush with persistence and a fine, silky finish.

Now sourcing fruit from premium regions across Australia, this Cabernet blend shows varietal mint on the nose with floral notes in the background. The palate has good weight and texture, the flavours of blackcurrant and herb framed by firm tannins.

Church Road is one of the oldest wineries in New Zealand. Led by legendary winemaker Tom McDonald, they were one of the first to craft exceptional Bordeaux-style red wine in Hawkes Bay. Today, they still maintain Toms vision of quality and craft in all the wines they make. Church Roads commitment to centuries-old winemaking techniques using French oak wine vats and French oak barriques remains undiminished. The winery is celebrating Tom McDonalds vision and legacy with the Church Road McDonald Series, complex, textural wines that are a fitting tribute to a legend whose influence is still felt today. This is a serious, multidimensional Merlot. The heart of this wine is its dense, brooding plum and dark berry fruit. This is complimented by lifted aromas reminiscent of roses, cedar, sandalwood and warm spice, while the oak delivers underlying dark chocolate and savoury notes. The palate is rich, weighty and long driven by a firm yet fine-grained tannin structure.

The Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay is made using very traditional winemaking techniques involving wild yeasts and the use of French oak barriques. The resulting wine is always finely flavoured and softly textured with a linear elegance that allows the wine to retain its freshness. Lovely aromatics of white flowers, peach, biscuit and flint. Integrated fresh flavours of stone fruits, lemon zest and roasted nuts create a generous and complex feel across the palate which is elegant and long on the finish.

Gimblett Gravels Syrah is a wine made using multiple parcels from the vineyard, the blending of these different parcels of grapes combine to create a wine that is truly distinct of its terrior and appealing palate. A satin like texture gives way to chewy vibrant berry fruit and mineral yet complex finish.

Church Road is one of Hawke's Bay's pioneering wineries, and its McDonald Series wines celebrate one of its original owners from the early 1900s, Tom McDonald, and his entrepreneurial spirit. New for Vintage Cellars, Church Road McDonald Series Pinot Gris is a hedonistic style with its rich perfume and texture and a seductive natural sweetness balanced by a touch of spice on the finish. Appealing ripe pear, peach, rose petal, ginger and warm spice aromas are evident on the nose, complimented by subtle creamy complexity. On the palate the wine is lush and full bodied with a moderate level of sweetness balanced by gentle acidity and a touch of ginger spice on the finish.

Church Road is one of Hawke's Bay's pioneering wineries, and its McDonald Series wines celebrate one of its original owners from the early 1900s, Tom McDonald, and his entrepreneurial spirit. New for Vintage Cellars, Church Road McDonald Series Chardonnay is a finely structured, elegant white with subtle oak influence and great drinkability. An elegant yet multidimensional Chardonnay, with a core of ripe stonefruit and fragrant citrus, overlaid with aromas of roasted nuts, subtle creaminess and a hint of smoky struck flint. The palate is powerful yet fresh and restrained with fine texture, great length and balanced fresh acidity