Tohu Hawke's Bay Merlot 2020

Description

• Dark plum
• Cassis & cocoa
• Rich finish
• Fine tannins

Black fruit and dark plum aromas seamlessly blend with subtle spicy notes in this smooth and silky Hawke's Bay Merlot. On the palate, flavours of blackberry, cassis and hints of cocoa are balanced with fine tannins leading to a richly textured finish.

Hawke's Bay is renowned for the production of full-bodied red wines made with classic Bordeaux varietals, including Merlot. The 2019/2020 growing season started with warm spring conditions that led into a cool and dry summer. The dry conditions continued into the late summer, encouraging even ripening and flavour development throughout the blocks. Harvest was two weeks earlier than average, with the fruit arriving in the winery with exceptional colour, concentration and balanced fruit flavours.

Perfectly ripe fruit was transported a short distance to the winery - where the grapes were lightly crushed and destemmed into open-top stainless steel fermenters. After a short cold soak period the must was warmed and inoculated with select yeast cultures. After inoculation the juice underwent a rapid fermentation with temperatures peaking at 30 to 33°C. Post-fermentation the resulting wine underwent a short maceration on skins before being pressed and then undergoing a secondary malo-lactic fermentation. Once this was complete the wine was allowed to age in barrel for 10 months before being prepared for bottling in early March 2021.