If you’ve never uncorked and experienced a wine from New Zealand’s historic Hawkes Bay region, then you don’t know what a sumptuous red is. Beautiful to behold, the 2016 Tora Bay Merlot’s deep color unfolds with complex aromas of dark fruits, dark chocolate, and dried herbs. The wine’s balanced palate consists of plump fruit and good tannins, offering a generous finish with flavor notes of chocolate and black currant. The Hawkes Bay wine region is situated on the East Coast of the lower North Island. With its maritime climate similar to that of Bordeaux, France, its unique location, stony soils, and climatic factors create excellent conditions for making world-class wines. And this Cab is certainly no exception. A pleasure to have at any dinner table, this Merlot shines beside meat-heavy dishes of pork roasts, grilled chicken, and juicy burgers.