All rights reserved. Corbans vineyard scene from the winery's Website . As one more piece of evidence that this Merlot thing has gotten out of control, here's one from New Zealand , a place not widely known for its reds. I'm told that Longridge is a label of Corbans, one of New Zealand's larger and well-respected wineries. Appetizing aromas of cassis and dark chocolate with an intriguing smoky edge.
Flavors follow the nose, tart-cherry fruit with a slight, pleasant herbaceous quality.
Quite acidic, but with plenty of fruit to hold it in balance. I didn't bring high expectations to a modest New Zealand Merlot, but it exceeded them substantially. Fine with a roast chicken. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores.