Vidal Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Description

Aromas of dark red fruits and fragrant oak combine on the palate showing a depth of flavour, texture and balance.

Fruit for this wine was grown in the acclaimed Gimblett Gravels vineyards. Naturally, free draining and low vigour soils, meticulous vineyard management and the season has produced a wine showing character, depth and clarity of flavour with fine structure. Low yielding vines and “green harvesting” helped to produce fruit with good concentration and richness that is balanced with natural acidity keeping the wine fresh.

Individual vineyard parcels were harvested (28th March - 11th April), destemmed, lightly crushed and fermented in small batches. During ferment, the batches were gently hand plunged and pumped over the skins to extract desirable tannin, flavour and colour. The wines were then pressed off and run to French oak barrels where they completed malolactic fermentation. After resting in barrel for 18 months (20% new), the batches were lightly fined, naturally settled, blended and gently filtered before bottling on the 16th of December 2018. This wine is a blend of Merlot (68%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (32%).

Food Pairing: Lamb, beef and hard cheeses.