Puriri Hills Mokoroa Clevedon Bordeaux Blend 2022

Description

Blackberry, Oak, Spice

"Dark ruby. A complex nose with cinnamon oak leading to a palate of spicy blackberry, this has good concentration and fruit sweetness right through to the back, where dusty wood and tannins give it a softly grippy, chalky finish. Elegant, ripe, well-balanced and concentrated but not heavily extracted or structured, this will develop some more complexity in the mid-term but is ready to go right out of the gate" Stephen Wong, The Real Review, Dec 2024

84% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium red fruits and some earth, spice and leather undertones on the nose call to mind classic Bordeaux. The palate is medium-bodied and pleasantly weighty without being overpowering. Fresh and accessible, but also showing complex structure that speaks to the very talented winemaker behind this release, and the precisely-judged blend of five distinct varietals.

In the winery, bunches were 100% destemmed and 80% crushed into oak cuves or stainless steel open-top fermenters. Ferments were cold soaked for 4-5 days to allow wild yeast development, then inoculated with oenological yeasts. Total time on skins ranged from 1-3 weeks depending on the varietal, fruit condition and the character desired. Free run wines were put to barrel and marc was lightly basket pressed. All wine was barrel-aged in French oak for ca. 21 months before final blending. The wine was sterile-filtered and bottled under screw cap on the estate.