Mission Estate Vineyard Selection Hawke's Bay Merlot 2018

Description

This is a fine, complex Hawke’s Bay Merlot. The oak is in balance and respects the wine’s structure and character. There is nice intensity on the front palate with very good tannins that are quite firm at bottling, but which will soften with time. The wine is harmonious, showing balance and softness with a sweet finish.

This Merlot was selected from prized vineyards on stony sites. Extensive shoot thinning was applied to the vines before flowering, then bunch thinning around veraison. This ensured light crops of mature, ripe fruit. The selection, blended after maturation of the wines, was from fermentations that showed good fruit maturity and had developed good depth of flavour and sweet tannins. This is from an echelon of blocks that have mature vines, grown on stony phases and between 12 and 20 years old. Exclusively from the 481 clone of Merlot, they represent our choice vineyards including our premium Mere Road block in the Gimblett Gravels.

The fermentations were managed with minimal pump overs to avoid over-extracting the grapes. When the fermentations were complete there followed a period of post fermentation maceration to develop the mouth feel of the young wines. After pressing the wines underwent a further malolactic fermentation in tank and the Mere Road portion of 40% was transferred to French oak barrels for maturation. After maturation for 12 months the wine was tasted and blended before assembly then fining.