Bob Campbell: Villa Maria Cellar Selection Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon

Villa Maria Cellar Selection Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon  

Why I chose it:  

• This wine was selected by Gimblett Gravels’ winemakers as one of the top reds from 2022. 
• A hearty red at a mouth-watering price. 
• 2022 was an average vintage, but this is a well below average price  
• Can be enjoyed now or stored in a cool place and enjoyed in 5 or 6 years time  
• A versatile wine that appeals to a wide range of tastes  

What does it taste like?   

A fresh and fruity red with dark berry and plum flavours and a seasoning of spicy oak. Moderately intense. A delicious wine that makes me reach for a second glass.  

Why it’s a bargain:           

Punches well above its weight  

Where can you buy it?         

• Whiskeyonline, Auckland $16.99 
• Vitis Cellars, Auckland $113.64 (12 bottles) 
• Blackmarket.co.nz $113.94 
• Check your supermarket shelves 

What’s a good food match?  

Barbecued steak. 

Drink now or later?  

Now if you like bright, fresh and fruity flavours, in five years if you prefer more mellow and slightly savoury reds. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame podcast
from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Be Bob Campbell, our master of Wine, has chosen a
Villa Maria seller selection merlow Kebine seven as his Wine
of the Week for us.

Speaker 3 (00:21):
Go out to Bob Cura Jack.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
So why did you choose this?

Speaker 3 (00:25):
Well, the wine was actually selected by the It's a
Gimblet Gravels. It's from the from the Gimblet Grevels district
of Hawke's Bay and once a year, the Gimblet Gravels
wine makers picked their top dozen wines and and and
share it with critics like myself, and I was particularly

(00:48):
taken with it. It's just for for sheer value. It's
just sort of pretty hard to beat.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yeah, what does it taste like?

Speaker 3 (00:59):
Fresh and fruity? You know, it's sort of dark berry
and plum flavors. It's it's got a little seasoning of spice,
the oak there that comes through moderately intense, but just
the delicious wine that really has me reaching for a
second glass.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
Yeah, And how was the twenty twenty two vintage.

Speaker 3 (01:19):
Twenty twenty two was a pretty average vistance to be honest,
but this is a well above average average average wine.
So it's a sort of an exception proving the rule.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
I think, yeah, you said punch as well above as white,
we can you buy Bob.

Speaker 3 (01:37):
I managed to find it at Whiskey Online in Auckland
for sixteen ninety nine now the regular price is eighteen
ninety nine, so that's a pretty sharp, pretty sharp price.
Vitus sellers in Auckland will also have it by the
case twelve bottles for one hundred and thirteen sixty four

(01:59):
and black market dot co dot Nz always have a
bargain on standby one hundred and thirty ninety four for
a dozen bottles. It's worth checking your supermarket shelves because
it's one of these wines that comes and goes fairly quickly.
I'll imagine, yeah, what would.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
Be a good food match do you think for the Villa.

Speaker 3 (02:23):
Maria barbecued steak? You know, it's the sort of out
on the deck and flipping a steak. It's a sort
of wine. It's a really good for the summer season.
It's slight, you can drink it slightly chill. That might
horrify some listeners, but there's a new section appearing on

(02:50):
wine shop shelves called chilled red, So I might talk
about that later. Yeah, but it's a happening trend at
the moment.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
It is that.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Happening to you, So would you drink it now or
do you reckon it'll do well for a couple of years.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
Well, I think it's I quite like bright, fresh, fruity flavors,
so that that's what I'm going to get now and
in five years time, if I can hang on to
it that long, it's going to be more become more
mellow and slightly savory, and that's that's got appeal too
for me. So so it's a it's a hard call,

(03:29):
but I'd given the choice, I'd probably go for the fresh.

Speaker 2 (03:32):
Yeah now, yeah, well but it depends what you like.
It certainly won't be ruined if you give it five
years in a stable environment, right right, Yeah, all very good. Hey,
thank you so much. Bob appreciate it. As always. Bob
Campbell is our master of wine, and his best buy
for us this week is a Villa Maria seller selection
Merlow Cabinet Sauvignon. We will put all of the details

(03:54):
for that up on the news talks.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
He'd be website for more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame.
Listen live to news talks he'd be from nine am Saturday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio