2012 Hans Herzog Spirit of Marlborough Cabernet Merlot, Marlborough

A blend of 40% merlot, 40% cabernet franc and 20% cabernet sauvignon. Bottle-aged for eight years before release. A mellow, mature red with savoury, beef tea, 'forest floor' and subtle dark berry, spice and baked-earth flavours. Good drinking now but no rush. 02 Mar 2022 Drink 2022–2025

94 points Bob Campbell MW therealreview.com

Hans Herzog’s Spirit of Marlborough Cabernet Merlot is one of New Zealand’s most powerful and collectable red wines, created with the precision and vision of Swiss-born winemaker Hans Herzog. After relocating from Switzerland to Marlborough in the 1990s, Herzog set out to craft wines of European depth and longevity in a region better known for Sauvignon Blanc. His meticulous, almost obsessive approach to viticulture and winemaking has made this bottling something of a legend.

The fruit comes from his estate vineyard in the Wairau Valley, where yields are kept exceptionally low to concentrate flavour. The blend leans heavily on Cabernet Sauvignon, supported by Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and spends up to 30 months in French oak before bottling unfined and unfiltered. It pours a deep, inky crimson and reveals a bouquet of cassis, blackberry, plum, cedar, cigar box and tobacco leaf. On the palate, it is full-bodied, rich and powerful, yet held in check by a backbone of fine tannins and a lingering graphite-like minerality. This is a wine built to age gracefully for 15 to 20 years, steadily gaining savoury complexity over time.

Pairing it with equally bold fare brings out its best. Think slow-cooked lamb shoulder with rosemary and garlic, venison with juniper and thyme, or a hearty beef short rib stew. It can also elevate a truffle and wild mushroom ragù, showing that its elegance is not lost in more refined pairings.

Produced only in tiny quantities, Spirit of Marlborough has achieved near cult status, often compared to Bordeaux’s top Left Bank wines while retaining its own New World identity. It is a benchmark for what Marlborough can achieve beyond Sauvignon Blanc, and a true statement of Hans Herzog’s dedication to authenticity and craftsmanship.