You’d be forgiven for thinking North Canterbury might be a little too cold to ripen the Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. This Cab Franc predominant blend emphatically proves otherwise. It’s exuberant. Ripe tannic structure is layered with flavours of red and dark berried fruit, and a suggestion of savoury complexity. And it’s built to last too. The vines, some of which are over 30 years old now, are planted in a natural amphitheatre formed by the bends of the Waipara River. It provides an ideal sun trap for ripening.

The Boneline team are devoted to the North Canterbury site that forms their wines. Vineyards are planted on ancient and varied soil types, sheltered by the Alps and Teviotdale Hills, yet still exposed to the region’s famed, warm nor’wester winds. If you want to geek out, the name Boneline refers to the nearby geological signature left by the same asteroid impact that caused dinosaurs to be extinct. The wines themselves are certainly worth geeking out on too.