I regard this as a serious wine. It is no pushover; it’ll sort the sheep from the goats and is anything but innocuous. A significant part of the blend is made up from the old Mission Clone, which has been cultivated in this country for over 160 years and in that time, it has learned a trick or two!

The colour is a deep straw-gold, due partly to bottle age and partly to the naturally high level of extract endemic in the variety. With a swirl of the glass, the legs surf up and almost crawl over the rim, a nod to the rich texture and substantial alcohol. On the nose, waves of creamed corn, sweet, rambly brambles, mealy wheatgerm and crushed tea leaf cause quite a stir, followed by stewed nectarine, lily of the valley, desiccated coconut and oily Brazil nut. There is something a little funky which conjures up a dusty familiarity and transports the senses to a dark bush track, deep in the Tararuas.

On the palate the wine is eclectic and somewhat larger than life. It has the sort of sticks and stones structure that you dare not turn your back on and is not merely full bodied but buxom and brazen. The texture menacingly closes ranks once swallowed and though the acidity is not high, it is imposing and accentuated by the absolute absence of residual sugar. Baked plum tart, granny smith apples and glacé cherry provide the fruity notes while southern fried grits, roasted coffee bean and preserved ginger add interest and complexity. There is a chewiness to it, an intriguing ferrous edge and a thirst-quenching salinity which all add thickness to the back palate and help keep the memory alive.