“Ransom Dark Summit, 2007 - "Attractive wine with sweet fruit, floral, wild herb, cedar and spice flavours. Complex red with elegance and energy. Quite a Bordeaux-style wine though with sweet fruit and textural qualities of a Right Bank wine despite Cabernet Sauvignon being a dominant component in the blend. Serious red with good cellaring potential."”

—Bob Campbell, 2010
“Ransom Dark Summit 2005 - "...it has deep, fairly youthful colour, a slightly leafy bouquet and generous, brambly, plummy flavours, savoury and complex with a strong finish. It shows good personality. 4 stars."”

—Michael Cooper, Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2009
“Ransom Dark Summit Cabernet, Franc, Malbec 2004 - "Their top of the range Dark Summit '04 Cabernet/Franc blend is powerful stuff, which will leave you in awe with its depth of fruit, spice and fruit-driven flavour, which hangs around long after the wine has gone down."”

—Jim McMahon, Australian Wine Writer, National Liquor News, April 2007
“Ransom Dark Summit Cabernet, Franc, Malbec 2004 - "...deeply coloured, intensely flavoured and utterly memorable."”

—Sue Courtney, www.wineoftheweek.com, January 2007
“Ransom Dark Summit Cabernet, Franc, Malbec 2003 - "From the deep red colour, savoury smokey oak, concentrated blackcurrant fruit and beautifully structured tannins, this shows its class from start to finish."”

—Sue Courtney, Wine Writer, Rodney Times, March 2006
“Ransom Dark Summit Cabernet, Franc, Malbec 2003 - "This wine has brilliant colour, good fruit and mouthfeel and it finishes dry."”

—Peter Shaw, Wine Writer, Waikato Times, December 2006
“Ransom Dark Summit Cabernet, Franc, Merlot 2002 - "...has a ripe fruit fragrance that hints at black boy peaches, with gentle spice and a warm, earthy tone. Very attractive, beautifully balanced wine."”

—Keith Stewart, www.sommnet.com, March 2004

dark summit (Bordeaux blend)

Ransom Dark Summit 2009

Around half Cabernet Sauvignon, supported by Carmenère and smaller quantities of Malbec and Cabernet Franc.

Deep garnet in colour; sweet brambly berry fruit on the nose; a concentrated, full palate with touches of vanilla and cedar. This premium wine, perhaps the best known and loved Ransom red, will age gracefully. It has an elegance and balance which makes for an excellent food companion. Serve with eye fillet of beef or rack of lamb.

Vintages - 1996, '98, '00, '02, '04, '05, '07, '09.