"rounded and generous, with lovely fruit richness"
Te Mata Estate Woodthorpe Merlot/Cabernets ‘09 has a dark ruby colour with aromas of ripe blackberry, blueberry, cedar and spiced fruitcake. The palate is rounded and generous, with lovely fruit richness supported by ripe powdery tannins, giving structure and length to the long finish. Te Mata Estate Woodthorpe Merlot/Cabernets ‘09 is a blend of 46% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Petit Verdot. It is a wonderful accompaniment to savoury red meats dishes and hard white cheeses, and will continue to evolve in bottle for 3-6 years from harvest.
The individual parcels of each variety, from each plot, were destemmed and given a warm, plunged fermentation with extended maceration on skins. The resulting wines were run off to a mixture of new and seasoned French oak barrels for 19 months’ maturation. The barrels were regularly topped and racked before blending and egg white fining prior to bottling.