Stables Ngatarawa Reserve Hawke's Bay Merlot 2020

Description

• Vanillin oak
• Blackberry
• Leather
• Fine tannins

Deep red. Full and fruity with plum, blackberry, savoury leather and vanillin oak. Soft and round, this well balanced wine has fresh plum and berry flavours. Fine tannins add a gentle texture and subtle oak lingers on the palate.

The growing season started cooler than average but was followed by a very warm and dry January. February cooled bringing perfect ripening conditions followed by a dry March allowing fruit to be harvested in optimum condition.

The grapes were crushed and transferred to a fermentation tank. The must was inoculated with a selected yeast strain to enhance varietal character. Twice daily pump overs were performed until the end of fermentation to enhance depth of flavour. The wine was left on skins for an extended period with daily tastings to determine the perfect time before pressing off the wine to achieve structure and mouthfeel. The wine was oak aged for 10 months before bottling.

Food Pairing: Beef, lamb or confit of duck.