The 2006 Helmsman Cabernet/Merlot has a sweet, ripe sappy nose with dark cherries, touches of blueberry with an apricot/confit element in the background. Very pretty and feminine. The palate is full-bodied with very ripe, sappy tannins, nice mouthfeel with layers of corpulent Merlot. Touches of thyme inflecting the black fruit, lovely balance and great purity. It remains rather linear on the finish when I am desperate for it to fan out, but it retains an intellectual lean. It should drink well over 2-5 years. Sacred Hill are one of Hawkes Bay’s finest producers and their Helmsman Cabernet thwarted opposition in the form of Bordeaux 2005s when tasted blind in London.Importer: Diageo, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 299-2600