Villa Maria Private Bin Hawke's Bay Merlot 2022

Description

Oak, Plum, Vanilla

A soft and fruit-driven style of Merlot, the 2022 Private Bin displays deep crimson hues and expresses an abundance of black plums and berry fruits. Subtle notes of vanilla and cocoa from oak lead to a sweet fruited and generous palate. The plush fruit and supple tannins make this a versatile food wine and suitable for any occasion.

High sunshine hours and low rainfall make Hawkes Bay New Zealand’s ‘home’ to the French Bordeaux variety Merlot. 2022 was a warm summer which lead to generous red fruit flavours in the Merlot. The grapes for the Private Bin Merlot were sourced from vineyards surrounding Villa Maria's Hawkes Bay winery located on free-draining gravel soil.

The fruit is harvested then destemmed & crushed to fermentation vessels. Twice daily the ferments are gently plunged or pulsed with oxygen to infuse colour and flavour from the grapes into the wine. After fermentation, the young wine is pressed out to undergo maturation with oak. After 12 months the wine is blended and prepared for bottling.