Just the fourth vintage of Villa's flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2019 Ngakirikiri is as smooth as marble. What's nice about this varietal wine is that it is accepting of its inherent characteristics. Yes, there are pyrazines here, in the form of an herbal lick, but the wine is fully ripe, offering dark black and raspberry coulis fruit alongside dark chocolate and mint. The fruit has excellent concentration, yet it's not over the top; it's firmly structured but not austere. The tannins provide a robust frame for the wine to evolve over the coming years. This is a wine that has clearly had a lot of love, evident in its huge intensity, carefully judged extraction and judicious use of high-quality French oak barrels. It has set out to be one of the best Cabernets in the country, and so far, it’s achieving its aim. I look forward to seeing how it evolves, as we have little precedent so far. Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous

Region: Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Grape Varietal: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot

Critic Rating: Vinous 96 Points 

Suggested Drink Window: 2024 - 2038