Rod Easthope Hawke's Bay Merlot Cabernet Franc 2014
About the wine
If you like a drop of posh Saint-Émilion or Pomerol, you'll love Rod's sophisticated Merlot Cab Franc
- 5 years ago Rod walked away from one of the cushiest jobs in the world as head winemaker at New Zealand’s iconic wineries. He left to follow a dream. To make a world-class Bordeaux blend (like this) with his own name on the label.
- Rod and his wife Emma trudged the entire vineyard, de-leafing the vines by hand, so the vines focused on growing rich, perfumed grapes, rather than big green leaves. This sort of painstaking attention to detail makes this drop so special.
- This is a sophisticated wine rather than a big old bruiser. Think posh, elegant, earthy... with dark, freshly-picked crushed berries and aromatic wild herbs. Fifteen months ageing in French barriques has made it silky smooth, and a smidgeon of Cabernet Franc gives it pure peppery power.
Rod Easthope, Winemaker
Best before
Drink now to 2024
Serving advice
Serve at 16-18°C. Open/Decant 15+ minutes before serving
Food match
Deboned leg of lamb on the BBQ - just awesome.
Contains sulphites
Wine profile
Meet the winemaker - Rod Easthope
- Rod downed tools at one of New Zealand's most iconic wineries, to set-up-shop alone, and luckily for us, he knows the whereabouts of the very best grapes that Hawke's Bay and Central Otago have to offer.
- He has rave reviews from journalists, wines dripping in medals and oodles of Parker Points under his belt, and thanks to Angel funding and backing, he's now making wines exclusively for you.
- Using his prize fund from being crowned your Winemaker of the Year 2014, Rod was able to add a stunning Gisborne Chardonnay to his range. Years on and his wines never fail to impress - they don’t call him Rod the God for nothing.
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