Mystery Hawke's Bay Merlot 2022

Description

Oak, Plum, Spice

Black Market Mystery Wines™ are simply wines we love, with the branding hidden and revealed only when it arrives at your door!

"It's gently fragrant on the nose, showing sweet plum, green olive, warm spice and nutmeg aromas, followed by a medium-full-bodied palate offering succulent fruit flavours with smooth mouthfeel, finishing lingering and juicy. At its best: now to 2025" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jun 2023

Deep ruby colour in the glass. Aromas of forrest berries, new leather and Doris plum. A concentrated and full-bodied wine with rich flavours of liquorice and ripe plum. This Merlot has a fine tannin structure with a warm, toasted finish. The 2022 Delta Merlot is drinking beautifully from release and will continue to mature over the next five to eight years. With concentrated and rich red fruit notes, the flavours will evolve and ripen over time. Layers of new leather and charred notes add complexity to the palate, leading to a long and toasty finish.

Selected predominantly from our low-cropping vineyards in the internationally recognised Hawke's 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.

During a cool evening, the deliciously ripe Merlot grapes were harvested and transported overnight to our winery in Marlborough. Fermented with selected yeast strains carefully chosen by Heather, the grapes were hand plunged up to eight times daily during the height of fermentation. The wine was then gently pressed into tank and seasoned French oak and left to mature for eight months. Heather then carefully blended the final wine prior to bottling.