Mystery Hawke's Bay Merlot 2019

Description

• French oak
• Ripe boysenberry
• Spice dried fruit
• Silky tannins

Dense purple colour in the glass. Ripe sun warmed boysenberry, spiced dried fruits and tobacco leaf. A fruit driven palate showing ripe black plum, boysenberry and mixed dark fruits. A fine silky tannin structure with liquorice notes and toasted oak to finish. Drinking well now this wine will continue to develop and impress for up to five years from vintage date.

Fruit was harvested from a specifically chosen, naturally low cropping vineyard within the Hawke’s Bay winegrowing district. The vineyard was carefully monitored as it ripened to full maturity and harvested late-March.

Grapes were de-stemmed into small stainless steel fermenters for a five-day cold soak to help maximise flavour and colour extraction. The juice was inoculated with specialised yeast to complete fermentation and then hand plunged and pumped over for gentle extraction of flavour, colour, and tannin. The young wine was kept in contact with skins and tasted daily until the right extraction and balance was achieved then gently pressed. Once settled it was then racked to settling tanks and seasoned French oak where it underwent secondary fermentation (malolactic fermentation). After ageing on light lees the wine was blended, fined, balanced and carefully prepared for bottling.

Food Pairing: A perfect match for grilled lamb with rosemary and thyme.