A mild winter and an early spring in 1995 resulted in the vines coming into leaf early. Good weather continued over flowering ensuring a generous but not excessive crop. The summer was hot and the autumn long, dry and warm. This lead to the fruit from the 1996 vintage being harvested at optimum ripeness and in perfect condition. Grapes from the oldest vines were used to make MAESTRO.

Wine making was carried out in the traditional Bordelaise manner, where the fermenting wines is splashed into a tub and them pumped over the cap of skins to gently extract the tannin and colour. Some vats were left macerating on skins for an extended period in order to gain smoother, more savoury tannis. The resulting wine was put into French oak barriques to mature for 2 years. Indigenous bacteria resulting in natural malolactic fermentation occurring during the warm weather in the following spring. Clarification was achieved by settling, prior to bottling and the wine is unfiltered.

The wine is based on a traditional Bordeaux blend of red varietals. Merlot provides fruitiness and mid-palate richness, while cabernet sauvignon adds spicy cassis characters and a firm backbone of tannin to ensure longevity. Lifted thereal aromas are derived from the cabernet franc. All these varieties were fermented and aged separately, before being carefully blended prior to bottling.

It is an opaque deep coloured wine with vibrant ruby and purple hues. The bouquet is redolent with cassis, blackberries and cedar with a hint of cigar smoke. Ripe fruit flavours predominat in the palate but these are underpinned with savoury tobacco hints. The body is full and muscular but there is a strong spine of fine grained ripe tannins which provides firmness and will help ageing.

While the wine is ready to drink it will improve with cellaring and should peak in 5-8 years. It is anticipated it will cellar for 10-20 years.

Wine is a natural health food.