A blend of 71% Merlot and 25% Malbec complemented by 4% Cabernet Franc, there is just a touch of reduction on the 2008 Wild Rock Gravel Pit Red Merlot/Malbec bouquet, which blows off with aeration, coming across quite Mendoza in style. The palate is well balanced with sinewy tannins, a little stalky on the entry: a touch of wild strawberry, iodine and cedar that leads to a ripe, rather chunky but pleasing finish. Drink now-2013.The wines from Craggy Range were tasted both in Hawkes Bay in January 2010 and then in London six months later. Steve Smith, Rod Easthope and the team continue to furnish consumers with a wide portfolio of terroir-based wines that satisfy both the value and prestige end of the market. Having tasted many of their wines, there is no doubt that they have ‘toned down’ their style, the initial releases being rather hubristic and a tad top-heavy with oak. This sense of refinement has lent the wines greater poise and breeding. Their reds are still their strongest suit, in particular their flagship labels such as ‘Le Sol’ and ‘Sophia’, but do not overlook their Chardonnays that exude great purity and Burgundian poise. Meanwhile their ‘Wild Rock’ entry-level range, which is treated as a completely separate entity to Craggy Range, contains some delightful varietals that form a neat introduction to the delights of Hawkes Bay’s wines.Importer: Kobrand Corp., New York, NY; tel. (212) 490-9300.