HELMSMAN - SACRED HILL HAWKE`S BAY 2014

750 mL | Alcohol/Vol: 13.5%

The blend is 54 percent cabernet sauvignon, 42 percent merlot and 4 percent cabernet franc planted back in 1986 near Puketapu (Sacred Hill), on soils mixed of white, volcanic cliffs and river land gravels from the Gimblett Gravels in Dartmoor Valley, Hawke’s Bay. The attack is fresh with plenty of cedar, cassis mixed with grippy tannins. The flavours are a cool mix of sour cherries, red plums and spice. I've seen some glowing reviews, but this wine fails to deliver the polish and styling to back those scores up. For the moment, it needs time in the bottle to settle down, shed some rusticity, and reach its full potential.