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Main Divide Merlot Cabernet 2018 is a soft, fruity Bordeaux blend wine produced in New Zealand by Pegasus Bay. It’s a wine of remarkable complexity and depth with intense ripe black fruits flavours with savoury notes, spices and a touch of chocolate, a very rounded mouthfeel and a vibrancy that provides the wine with great structure and longevity. The smooth tannins, complexity and intense flavours make this very soft approachable now.
In stock
In stock
| Wine Style | Red Wine, Smooth Elegant Red |
|---|---|
| Grape Variety | Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec |
| Wine Region | North Canterbury |
| Country | New Zealand |
| ABV | 13.5% |
| Oaked | Yes |
| Cork | No, Screwcap |
| Lifestyle | Vegan, Certified Sustainable |
| Volume | 75cl |
| Drink By | 2027 |
Main Divide Merlot Cabernet 2018 is made in the style of a Bordeaux claret and the blend in this vintage comprises 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon with 10% Malbec added for its colour, lush fruits and structure. 2018 was a hot sunny vintage and, although heat can be a challenge for winemakers, it can also lead to a wine of remarkable complexity and depth like this one due to optimal grape ripening. On the nose, this wine delivers notes of dark fruit with hints of caramel, black pepper and subtle oak. The palate follows through with flavors of sweet, ripe black fruits, such as blackcurrant and blackberry, plums and cherries. The fruitiness of Main Divide Merlot Cabernet 2018 makes for a very rounded mouthfeel and as you taste the wine more flavours emerge – savoury notes, spices and a touch of chocolate – on a lengthy finish. There is a vibrancy to the wine from the mouth-watering acidity that prevents the fruits being too sweet and overpowering and provides the wine with great structure and longevity. The smooth tannins, complexity and intense flavours make this a very soft, approachable wine now but it will continue to evolve for a few years yet though I suspect you won’t be able to resist drinking it now.
Main Divide Merlot Cabernet 2018 is from the Main Divide range of wines crafted by Pegasus Bay to “produce wines that reflect the unspoilt freshness, purity and cool climate of the south, while retaining in each its individual regional and varietal character”. Grapes come from their own Main Divide vineyards and from vineyards specially selected for their terroir and grape quality that are owned by other growers with whom Pegasus Bay works closely. Pegasus Bay’s main wines, like their gorgeous Pinot Noir, are solely from Pegasus Bay vineyards. Main Divide wines are considered by many wine reviewers to be snapping at the heels of Pegasus Bay’s main wines despite being their “second” label and therefore to represent great value. Main Divide refers to the southern Alps that form the backbone of the South Island of New Zealand.
This is a very food-friendly wine. Recommended with steak, beef casseroles, lamb, chicken, turkey and smooth enough to have with pork dishes also. Also good with cheese, tomato-based dishes, mushrooms, roast vegetables etc. Also great on its own!
Serve at: 14 – 17°C
“This wine is made in the same style as the celebrated Claret from Bordeaux, using traditional methods… Its colour is deep ruby, with tantalising dark fruit aromas of blackberry, cherry and plum. Intertwined with this are hints of chocolate, liquorice and vanilla, along with savoury notes of wood smoke and spice. The mouthfeel is silky and succulent, with ripe tannins that provide balance and structure. A long hot summer has delivered a beautifully crafted, harmonious wine, displaying both power and finesse. “
95 points – Decanter
Christine Marsiglio MW: “Pure New Zealand aromas, with that intensity of pure fruit and hints of leafiness. Silky palate with sour cherry, redcurrant and ripe plum. The oak doesn’t dominate.” Freddy Bulmer: “Mature on the nose, with savoury tobacco and cedar notes alongside forest floor and cherry. The palate is silky and plush, still with ample acidity.” Roger Jones: “Spiced plum notes, a lovely brightness and acidity, with cherry and dried mushroom notes. Evolves well in the glass.”
91 points / 4.5 stars – Wineorbit.co.uk
“… beautifully fruited and delightfully expressed …. The palate is plump and gorgeously flavoursome with excellent fruit intensity and rounded mouthfeel … very tasty.”
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