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1998 Matua Ararimu Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon. |
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Written by Craig Thomson
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1998 Matua Ararimu Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon. Eleven years on there is always some debate as to whether a merlot blend from this famous vintage is still going to be in good shape, even if it is a top label. However this one seems to have plenty of life left in it. The colour is showing some bricking on the rim but is surprisingly dense and opaque with a core of tarnished royal purple. The nose is rich dominated by dark chocolate and confectioned dark blackberry, obviously a very ripe wine. The palate is gorgeously soft and rich displaying plenty of stuffing and substance. In the mouth layers of ripe plum, blackberry and creamy chocolate caress the senses. It really is the essence of 1998 Hawkes Bay – pleasingly warm and plump fruit surrounded by ripe powdery and plush tannins. It is a wine to drink now but should hold a couple more years yet for those prepared to gamble. 98/109
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