There's a strong case for renaming this award ‘The Chris Scott Award for excellence in red-wine making’ because, for the past four years of this tasting, the top wine has come from the hallowed halls of Church Road Winery and has been made by a winemaking team led by Chris Scott. If a Church Road wine comes top again next year, there’s a real fear I may have exhausted all the things I could possibly say.

Different judges, different judging locations, different vintages, different wines. The one constant: the superbly talented Chris Scott, Chief Winemaker at Church Road in Hawke’s Bay. Chris started his career at Church Road in 1998 as a cellar hand and worked his way up to the esteemed top job by 2015. It’s undeniable that Chris is one of New Zealand’s most celebrated and awarded winemakers with an ability to craft wines using the very best of modern and traditional winemaking techniques that are layered, complex and beguiling. This single-vineyard cabernet sauvignon is no exception, with a beautifully deep and dense colour that reaches right to the rim of the glass, intense toast and spice backed by dried herbs and ripe dark blackcurrant aromas on the nose. The palate is bright and ripe with concentrated dark fruit flavours. Bold yet juicy with chalky tannins, robust structure, lovely linearity and drive. An intense yet extremely satisfying wine.