Delta Hawke's Bay Merlot 2020

Description

• French oak
• Damson plum
• Savoury
• Velvety tannins

"It's fabulously ripe and perfumed, showing dark plum, blackcurrant, thyme and hazelnut aromas, followed by a supple palate displaying lovely weight and rounded mouthfeel. The wine offers excellent fruit purity combined with fine chalky tannins, finishing long and attractively dry" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Mar 2021

Dark plum. A full bodied and bold Merlot, showing characters of blackberry, Damson plum and black cherries. Complex and rich with velvety tannins and a savoury finish.

Selected fromt heir low-cropping vineyards in the internationally recognised Hawkes Bay winegrowing region, situated on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. Warm days and cooler nights with gravel rich soils lead to small, tight berries full of bold flavours and vibrant colour. The wine was then pressed into tank and seasoned French oak and left to mature for nine months. Heather then carefully blended the final wine prior to bottling.

During a cool evening, the deliciously ripe Merlot grapes were harvested and transported overnight to their winery in Marlborough. Fermented with a carefully selected yeast strain, the grapes were hand plunged up to eight times daily during the height of fermentation.

The 2020 Delta Merlot is drinking beautifully from release and will continue to mature over the next five to eight years. With bold and rich red fruit notes, the flavours will evolve and ripen over time. Layers of savoury olives and clove add an extra complexity to the palate, leading to a long and
toasty finish.

Food Pairing: Excellently paired with New Zealand beef and a morel mushroom sauce.

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