Home > Producer Profiles > New Zealand Profiles > Redmetal Vineyards
Redmetal Vineyards
Redmetal Vineyards are located on the south-western edge of the Heretaunga Plains, near Hawkes Bay, a long established wine region, on the east coast of New Zealands' North Island. The name Redmetal is derived from the soils, which comprise a thin layer of silt loam lying over a red gravel that was once an ancient riverbed. These soils, which provide excellent drainage and to which the quality of the locally produced wines are attributed, are known locally as 'red metals'.
The
7 ha of vines are predominantly Merlot, with some Cabernet Franc & Sauvignon;
Merlot ripens a few weeks earlier than the Cabernets, as anyone who follows the
Bordeaux harvests knows, so the thinking was that this variety would be well
suited to the Hawkes Bay mesoclimate. The vines are pruned and green harvested
to achieve suitably low yields, with leaf thinning to improve ripening. They are
protected from cool weather by nearby mountain ranges to the south, and are
sheltered from the sea breezes which come in off the coast several miles away.
Rainfall is generally sparse, and the summer temperatures can be very hot.
The portfolio of wines that results is led by The Merlot, and includes two blends - one basket-pressed - and a deeply coloured, structured rosé. The Redmetal Vineyards wines are available in the UK through Hellion Wines, run by Jim Ledwith. Jim specialises in New Zealand and can be contacted on 07765 472263. (22/11/05)
Contact details:
Address: 2006 Maraekakaho Road, RD1, Hastings
Telephone: +64 (0) 6 879 6567
Fax: +64 (0) 6 879 6717
Internet:
www.redmetalvineyards.co.nz
Redmetal Vineyards - Tasting Notes
Redmetal Vineyards Merlot Cabernet Franc (Hawkes Bay) 2004: Bottled
under a twin-top cork. A fairly dense wine with a vivacious cherry red hue. More
ready to immediately please on the nose than the basket pressed cuvée, which
took a little while to open up, showing some perfumed, smoky plum alongside a
little cherry, sweet tobacco and a good presence of stony minerals as well.
Nice, relaxed body on entry, showing a firmer structure through the midpalate,
but with appealing freshness and balance. Lovely fruit flavours here and through
onto the finish. Has a grippy undercurrent, just breaking the surface on the
finish, that makes this good with food, but a warm, caressing texture that makes
it easy to drink solo as well. Very nice style indeed. For drinking now or
short-term cellaring. From a
Hellion Wine New Zealand tasting. 16+/20 (July 2006)
![]()
Redmetal Vineyards Basket Pressed Merlot Cabernet Franc (Hawkes Bay) 2004:
This is in fact 95% Merlot, with just a 5% dollop of Cabernet Franc. The thing
that appeals to me about this wine is, as with the 2003 tasted last year, the
absolute restraint evident. There is an overarching minerality which seeps into
every aspect of the wine, not quite dominating the nose which, after being
initially rather tightly wound, relaxes after an hour or two in decanter to
reveal fine plum, tobacco, chocolate and red cherry fruit with a little note of
Dundee cake. The palate is quite firmly structured, although with a rounded,
almost plump and almost seamless supporting texture. There are soft tannins,
which coat the mouth on the endpalate, and a lovely, ripe extract. My only
negative comment is that there is a quickly fading finish, but overall this wine
is quite fine for drinking now, and shows clear potential for the cellar. From a
Hellion Wine New Zealand
tasting. 17+/20 (July 2006)
![]()
Redmetal Vineyards Rosé (Hawkes Bay) 2004: A really deep rosé hue here, vibrant and
pink. Sweet canned strawberry fruit on the nose, with fresh blackberry leaf and
a confected buttercream aroma. Very full bodied, quite firm, with good, piercing
blackberry and nettle flavours. There's a creamy, vanilla essence character to
it as well, building on the finish, and also a little tannin giving a grippy,
masculine mouthfeel. This is no lily-livered rosé; this is big, flavoursome and
yet fresh. Good. 15/20 (November 2005)
![]()
Redmetal Vineyards Merlot Cabernet Franc (Hawkes Bay) 2003: Merlot 65%, Cabernet
Franc 29%, Cabernet Sauvignon 6%. A decent colour, although no great depth of
hue. Sweet, slightly confected canned strawberry fruit on the nose, with a
green, leafy, tobacco and peppercorn edge. Medium bodied, moderately sweet,
slightly plummy fruit. Softly structured, with an oily character and chalky
tannins. A little mineral character. This makes for decent drinking now and in
the next year or two. 15/20 (November 2005)
![]()
Redmetal Vineyards Basket Pressed Merlot Cabernet Franc (Hawkes Bay) 2002: Merlot
95%, Cabernet Franc 5%. A deeper and much more appealing colour here. Sweet
black fruit on the nose, plummy, chocolatey. Still showing a fine tannic
backbone which gives structure to the palate, and which is carried through to
the finish. Nutty fruit, nicely extracted, and what oak I spotted last time
seems now to have been fully absorbed. No particular green notes either. This is
very good, a mouth-filling, grippy style which would do short-term cellaring
well. Retails at just a few quid more; this is definitely worth trading up to
from the straight Merlot-Franc. Garners an extra half point. 16.5+/20 (November 2005)
![]()
Redmetal Vineyards Basket Pressed Merlot Cabernet Franc 2002:
Also includes Cabernet Sauvignon reflecting the mix in the vineyard. A
moderate density and a vibrant, youthful red hue fading just a little at the
rim. Good plummy nose, with chocolate coated dark fruits but a fresh vibrancy.
Still a little oak showing too, although quite subtly. Creamy, rounded, black
fruits on entry, spicy oak and some fresh, peppery acidity cutting broadly
across the palate. Ripe tannins underpin the wealth of fruit, showing only on
the finish. There's a nervous edge of green leaf and tobacco reflecting the Cab
Franc, which I like. Will do well in the cellar for up to a decade. Very good.
From a Hellion Wine New Zealand
tasting. 16+/20 (September 2004)
![]()
