GEOFF'S steak with rosemary salt is crying out for a full, dense red with well-structured tannins and a herby note to echo that of the dish. As ever, the proteins in the meat soften the effect of the tannins on the palate making one of the wine world’s perfect matches.
My first choice would be for a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Hawkes Bay in New Zealand. Hawkes Bay is on the east coast of North Island where the vine-friendly soil coupled with lots of sunshine and a mostly dry climate make for ideal growing conditions.
In the 1970s, Hawkes Bay was the most important region in the emerging New Zealand market, far more than Marlborough, which didn’t become a front-runner until the 1990s when everyone was getting excited about Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. In the very early days, the Hawkes Bay reds were a little green and lacked substance, but nowadays they are world-class, exhibiting depth and character with plenty of lovely rich fruit.
Craggy Range Te Kahu Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2011 (Majestic, £21). This is Merlot blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and a pinch of Malbec. It emulates the wines of the Saint Emilion region of Bordeaux and will please Old World traditionalists and New World aficionados alike.
Te Mata Awatea Cabernet Merlot 2013 (M&S, £30). Te Mata is New Zealand’s oldest producer and their wines are nothing short of spectacular. This wine spends 15 long months in French oak for that Bordeaux feel, and the secondary grapes are Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot making a wine to rival the big names from France. It will undoubtedly impress on the dinner table this weekend.
Pete Stewart is Glasgow director of Inverarity One to One, 185a bath Street, Glasgow inverarity121.com
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