The Morton Estates Winery is a wine lover’s dream. Privately owned with the focus on producing only good wine – and some exceptional wine too! The winery’s based at Kati Kati below the Coramandel Peninsular where I lived for a year. Morton own some of the best vineyards in both Hawke’s Bay - the best area for Chardonnay, and Marlborough – the best for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. They are one of the few remaining wineries who take complete control of their own wines from vineyard right through to bottle closure, ensuring top quality every step of the way. They’ve won more awards than the Chinese Olympic Team including ‘Decanter - Best Chardonnay in the World’ and ‘New Zealand Winery of the Year’ amongst others. You can order their wines with confidence that they’re going to be good, or even great!

What’s it like?

A blend of predominantly Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Plenty of ripe fruit aged in both American and French oak, with a hint of pepper and soft tannins. This is a lovely easy drinking wine, nothing big or complex, but great when you just want something easy to drink. Doesn’t need to breathe – just open and enjoy straight away!

How much? Where can I buy it?

There’s a slight problem at the moment, the Mercure has performed so well in the UK that Morton Estates have sold out and so have all the retailers. There’s another container docking as we speak so the Mercure should be available again from the 1st week of June. The cheapest place for Morton Estates The Mercure Bordeaux Blend 2006  is www.goodwineonline.co.uk at £8.19