Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2009 Helmsman has a pronounced cedar enhanced nose with notes of ripe black and red currants, black cherries, black olives and fresh mulberries over Chinese five spice and chocolate. Crisp and very taut, the medium bodied palate is dominated by oak at the moment, with firm grainy tannins and a long cedary finish. Consider drinking it 2014 to 2022+. Only 425 cases were produced.Importer: Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, Napa, CA.

Aged for 18-months in French barriques, the 2007 Helmsman has an introverted nose and despite coaxing it reluctantly offers blackberry, wild mushroom, mulberry, violet and blueberry that really blossom after five minutes. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm tannic grip. Good balance with a stern backbone and linearity towards the finish, the Helmsman ’07 needs a few years to lose its broody character. But there is certainly more than enough structure and fruit intensity here and it constitutes a great Hawkes Bay wine. Drink now-2017. Tony Bish continues to produce some outstanding examples of Hawkes Bay wine and their Helmsman stood shoulder to shoulder with an array of top Bordeaux 2005s at a blind tasting in 2009. Their entry-level Gunn Estate wine form a superb introduction to the delights of the region’s wines, in particular their Skeetfield Chardonnay.Importer: Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, Napa, CA; www.diageo.com