Brookfields Sun-Dried Hawke's Bay Malbec 2021

Description

• French oak
• Boysenberry
• Dark cocoa
• Juicy acidity

"Full, deep purple with a ruby lining, lighter on edge. This has a robust, generous, appealing bouquet with aromas of prune, macerated cherry and sun-dried boysenberry lined with subtle spice and herb. Full-bodied, dense and concentrated aromas of ripe plum, macerated cherry and sun-dried boysenberry entwined with nutmeg and dark cocoa. The wine is robust with dense fruit aromas, warm alcohol power and a firm yet smooth tannin grip; finely structured and supported by a juicy acid line. This sun-dried Malbec is intense and rich with dial-up elements and a long, warming finish" Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, Nov 2022

In your glass you will have a black-red wine with a thin magenta edge. On the nose these intense dark berry and spice aromas carry through onto the palate showcasing ripe Black plums, liquorice, berry jam on toast, cinnamon, dried spices and vanilla oak are all harmoniously integrated thus forming the 2021 ‘Sun-Dried’ Malbec. This wine has wonderful richness and depth due to the excellent grapes it was made from. It is Malbec on steroids and one of the best we have made.

The grapes for our ‘Sun-Dried’ Malbec were harvested from the Tuki Tuki Valley and Ohiti Estate vineyards. They are trained on the classical VSP trellis system. The 1056 clone of Malbec readily achieves ripeness, while the balance is MS Malbec, which adds complexity. The sun-drying then enhances the sugar concentration, as well as the colour, aroma and flavours.

The Malbec was hand-picked, and then sun-dried in trays in a shade house before being made into wine. Open fermentation tanks were used, so hand plunging could take place. Due to the loss of moisture with the sun-drying, the cap was quite thick and demanded more attention than normal when plunged. After pressing, and malolactic fermentation had occurred, the Malbec went into one and two year old French oak barrels for aging and development.

Food Pairing: Ideal pairing with a Rib-Eye steak and a mushroom sauce.