Church Road 1 Merlot

This classy Church Road 1 Merlot is a bold and expressive wine. It is a fragrant, complex Merlot with a core of brooding, dark plum overlaid with brighter berry fruit and lifted fragrance of lavender, cedar, rose and thyme. Undertones of warm earth, cacao, graphite and iron bring depth and interest to the wine. A full, supple mid palate leads into a long, elegant finish with firm but fine-grained tannins driving great length and presence.

• Winery: Church Road
  
• Varietal: Merlot
  
• Region: Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
• Vintage: 2021
  
• Alcohol: 13.5%
  
• Volume: 750ml
  
• Closure: Cork
  
• Food pairing: BBQ pork, chicken satay pasta, blue cheese
  

Church Road 1 is a range of single vineyard wines that showcase the terroir of Church Road's best vineyards. Situated in the Bridge Pa Triangle Wine Growing District, Redstone Vineyard is one of the warmest vineyards in Hawke’s Bay, perfect for the cultivation of later ripening varieties. This site typically produces ripe, supple and very aromatic Merlot with an amalgam of red and black fruit, lifted floral fragrance and an underlying iron-like minerality.

Church Road in Taradale has a rich and storied past, its foundations laid in 1897 by the visionary ex-Marist Brother, Bartholomew Steinmetz. When he returned to his native Luxembourg in the 1920s, he entrusted the fledgling winery to the hands of a young yet ambitious 19-year-old—Tom McDonald. Today, his name is legendary. Initially leasing the winery before securing ownership in 1936, Tom was a pioneer, driven by an unwavering passion for excellence. In 1949, he crafted New Zealand’s very first commercial Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine that became an icon of the 1960s and set an enduring benchmark for premium red wines in the country. A true visionary ahead of his time, Tom’s dedication to winemaking remains deeply woven into the fabric of this historic estate.

Under new stewardship, a major renovation in 1989 was undertaken with a singular mission—to restore Church Road’s place as a producer of boutique-style, quality-driven wines. Today, the winery thrives under the expert guidance of Chris Scott, who has been part of its journey since 1998. The winemaking team, drawing from some of Hawke’s Bay’s finest vineyard sites, continues to create wines of remarkable character, delivering both excellence and value at every level. A tradition of passion and innovation lives on, ensuring that every bottle tells a story of heritage, craftsmanship, and a deep love for the art of winemaking. 

• Trophy - 2023 Champion NZ Bordeaux Blend (2021 vintage)
• 97/100 Points - Sam Kim, Wine Orbit (2021 vintage)
• 94/100 Points - Cam Douglas (2021 vintage)
• 88/100 Points - Decanter (2021 vintage)