Villa Maria Private Bin Hawke's Bay Merlot 2025

Description

Oak, Plum, Vanilla

A soft and fruit-driven style of Merlot, the 2024 Private Bin is deep purple in colour and the aroma is rich with dark berries and cocoa. Subtle notes of vanilla and spice 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 the beautiful New Zealand wine region of Hawke's Bay an ideal place to grow fine Merlot. 2024 was a warm summer which combined with naturally low yields in the vineyards, resulted in ripe and generous fruit flavours in the Merlot. The grapes for the Private Bin Merlot were sourced from vineyards surrounding Villa Maria's Hawke's Bay winery located on free-draining gravel soil.

The fruit is harvested then destemmed & crushed to fermentation vessels. The fermenting wine infuses on the grape skins for up to two weeks picking up colour and flavour. After fermentation, the young wine is pressed out to undergo maturation with oak. After 12 months the wine is blended and prepared for bottling.

Food Pairing: Enjoy with red meats, cheese and Mediterranean style foods.