• French oak
• Boysenberry & plum
• Chocolate & vanilla
• Bright acidity

"A blend of 60% malbec and 40% merlot. Dense, ripe, sweet berry fruit, plum, chocolate/moccha and vanilla flavours. Generously proportioned wine that is deliciously accessible now but promises to deliver much more with further bottle age" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Mar 2023

"From the  Decibel Wines collection comes this ripe, fragrant and fruity example from the Gimblett Gravels with aromas and flavours of dark plums and blackberry fruits, there’s layers of soils and barrel spices, smoky toasty qualities and a harmonious tempting core. As the wine develops on the palate flavours of chocolate and baking spices begin to emerge, there’s also a backbone of acidity and firm youthful tannins that need time and food to tame - not for too long though. Well made, as always, with persistent flavours and textures and a dry lengthy finish. Best drinking from late 2024 through 2030+" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Mar 2023

Deeply aromatic with layers of boysenberry, plum, iron and earth; the palate is demarcated by a firm, suede-like, tannin structure. In the glass it exudes density and ripeness; overflowing with sweet berry, plum, chocolate, and vanilla notes. The well-integrated oak and bright acidity, a signature of the malbec in the blend, promise a great future for this wine with cellaring.

Hawke’s Bay lies on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The region enjoys dry summers with moderate, cool nights. This wine reflects a single vineyard Malbec dominant blend 60% with 40% Merlot which was grown organically on the famous Gimblett Gravels appellation. The Gimblett Gravels is marked by specific soils laid bare from the constantly shifting Ngaruroro River over millions of years. The river’s last shift in 1867 left these amazing rocky soils, which combined with the slightly inland Heretaunga Plains’ weather, and classic viticulture techniques created a uniquely expressive Malbec.

This certified organic site can ripen quite late compared to other site on the Gimblett Gravels, resulting in dense, darker fruit. Hand-picked in late April and transported in whole bunches from the vineyard to the close-by winery in small baskets. The fruit was then destemmed and only lightly crushed to allow the skins to slowly breakdown during the fermentation. Some of the fermenters were a co-ferment of Malbec/Merlot. The fruit was then cold macerated for 5 days on skins before slowly warming each of the small fermenters and allowing a wild fermentation to kick in. After pressing, the wine was put to a French oak barriques, 20% of which were new barrels. The wine was racked and blended after 24 months in oak.