Saint Clair James Sinclair Hawke's Bay Cabernet Merlot 2021

Description

Blackcurrant, Oak, Vanilla

Dense ruby core and thin rim. Complex aromas of tobacco, vanilla and old leather. Fresh fruit flavours of newly harvested blackberries and black currents. The palate is rich and concentrated with a powdered structure and a long toasty finish. Drinking well from release date this wine can be enjoyed young or with careful cellaring will mature into a more complex wine that can be enjoyed for the next five years or beyond.

Sourced from within the Gimblett Gravels wine growing district in the Hawke’s Bay region. The free draining gravel type soil is vigour moderating. This combined with the climate are the perfect mix for the growth of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The fruit was carefully monitored during ripening and harvested in the cool evening at maximum flavour maturity and physiological ripeness.

A blend of 71 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, and 29 per cent Merlot. The two varietals were kept separate throughout fermentation up until the time of blending. Fruit was held cold for four days to assist with the extraction of flavour and to enhance colour stability. During the primary alcoholic fermentation the fermenting must was hand-plunged and pumped over up to four times a day. When dry the young wine was pressed and then racked off gross lees to 18 per cent new French oak and the balance seasoned older French oak. The wine underwent a clean malolactic fermentation while ageing in oak for 6 months. Various different blend options were trialled before the winemakers settled on the final wine composition.

Food Pairing: A perfect match for pan seared venison with a wild rice salad.