Esk Valley Artisanal Hawkes Bay Albariño 2021

Description

• Dry style
• Subtle oak
• Tropical fruit
• Mouthwatering acidity

This wine reveals classic Albariño notes of lime, peach and an assortment of tropical fruits. It is full and rich with mouthwatering acidity providing length and delicousness with the palate weight enhanced by ageing on yeast lees. It is delicious as a young wine but will gain some complexity with time in the bottle. Ideal drinking 2021 - 2025.

This is a single vineyard wine from the Two Terraces Vineyard situated inland at Mangatahi. The Albarino plantings are located on the upper of the two gravel river terraces formed by the Ngaruroro River. Two clones of Albarino from both Spain and Portugal are planted, with each providing its own distinctive characteristics. Planted in 2018, these vines are intensively managed and yields kept low in the pursuit of quality wine.

The fruit was picked at 23.1 brix on the 23rd March 2021. Lightly pressed and settled overnight, the free run juice was run to a mix of large format oak barrels and small tanks for fermentation with both wild and cultured yeast strains. The tank fermented portion was stopped with a small amount of residual sugar to add balance to the final blend. The wine was aged on its full lees with regular stirring until being blended and bottled.

Food Pairing: It is the perfect accompaniment to seafood dishes.