Merlot
If Merlot isn’t the most famous red, it is the most international. Legendary Merlots command top dollar but even the cheapest are reliably approachable and plummy. Not always as complex as its equally famous cousin Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot’s trump is ripening early - making drinkable wines in any climate. Hot climates like America allow hedonistically (over)ripe, jammy Merlots with deep colour and soft tannins, while moderate to cool climates like New Zealand produce Merlots with plush fruit but more helpful acid freshness. In its homeland of Bordeaux, Merlot often blends plumpness into more tannic Cabernet, though in Bordeaux’s legendary left bank wines, where Merlot dominates, it is picked not-too-late to preserve the acid and tannin structure for aging.

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2021 Squawking Magpie Gimblett Gravels Chatterer Merlot MalbecThe delicious red was Bob Campbell's Top Value & Buy of the Week in October 2023, with a 93 point score that is massive for such a reasonably priced wine. (Bobs 'price benchmark' for 93 point ... read more$23.99 in mixed 6+ or $26.99 per bottle
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2024 Zaria Merlot Cabernet FrancA classy red from an accomplished Hawkes Bay winemaker. Zaria is the personal label of Bryce Edwards whose gorgeous reds have always overdelivered to our customers through his day job as ... read more$27.99 in mixed 6+ or $30.99 per bottle
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2022 M.A.U. Pink Ensemble RoseA delicate and refined Rose from a boutique producer based in Clevedon, Auckland. M.A.U winemaker Marc Udy uses his local 'field blend' of red grapes to make a super-classy Rose in which the ... read more$27.99 in mixed 6+ or $31.99 per bottle
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2019 Elephant Hill Hawkes Bay MerlotA gorgeously plush and stylish red from a legendary vintage in Hawkes Bay. The wine is dominated by rich Merlot, and the ripeness of a hot year is enlivened by juicy freshness and blended ... read more$29.99 in mixed 6+ or $33.99 per bottle
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2020 Squawking Magpie The Gravels Merlot Malbec CabernetA rich and complex Bordeaux-style red from Hawkes Bay. Such great results come from Squawking Magpie's increasingly old vines on the Gimblett Gravels, which produce a red of serious depth and ... read more$29.99 in mixed 6+ or $33.99 per bottle
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2023 Boneline Pink Noise RoseA new Rose from a stylish Waipara producer. The Pink Noise has a softly dry palate that is one of the finest in the Rose genre this summer, made from mostly Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir. Very ... read more$35.99 in mixed 6+ or $39.99 per bottle
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2023 Saintayme Saint-Emilion En PrimeurEn Primeur product: order now for arrival mid 2026. A plump and rich Merlot from Saint Emilion, this wine offers serious aging potential for the price. Quality vineyards have ... read more$40.00 per bottle
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2020 Mission Estate Jewelstone AntoineAnother incredible 97-point red that just placed in the Top 12 wines from a fantastic vintage on the Gimblett Gravels. Andrew Caillard MW just released his exclusive Top 12 selection for 2020 ... read more$39.99 in mixed 6+ or $44.99 per bottle
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2022 Saintayme Saint-Emilion En PrimeurEn Primeur product: order now for arrival mid 2025. A plump and rich Merlot from Saint Emilion, this wine offers serious aging potential for the price. Quality vineyards have ... read more$45.00 per bottle
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2023 La Chenade Lalande de Pomerol En PrimeurEn Primeur product: order now for arrival mid 2026. A staff and customer favourite, La Chenade is a flowing and juicy Bordeaux for a modest price. Mostly Merlot from sandier ... read more$45.00 per bottle