Yealands Hawke's Bay Merlot 2021 (187ml)

Description

• Subtle oak
• Dark berries & plum
• Supple tannins
• Rich lingering finish

Concentrated notes of plum, dark berries and underlying cassis and warming spice. The palate is soft with finely balanced supple tannins and a rich lingering finish. Enjoy now, or cellar up to 3 years.

Our wine is inspired by the coast that surrounds us, so close to the ocean that our vines are often misted with sea spray. The beauty of our environment influences how we craft wine, respectful of nature and our land. Yealands believes in sustainable winemaking and creating thoughtfully crafted wines that work in harmony with our landscape.

The 2021 growing season was of exceptional quality; warm spring temperatures brought forward flowering, but also meant smaller crops. With very little disease pressure and the weather continuing to remain favourable through March, the fruit was able to be picked at optimal ripeness.This Merlot was picked in excellent condition, achieving ripe tannins and concentrated flavour.

The low yielding Merlot was harvested and de-stemmed directly into a mixture of open and closed fermenters. A traditional warm fermentation followed with regular pump overs to help craft a wine with elegance and balance. The fruit remained on skins after fermentation to build structure and mouthfeel, it was then gently pressed, settled and racked to stainless steel tanks to undergo malolactic fermentation. After aging with a range of oak, it was then blended, stabilised and filtered prior to bottling.

Food Pairing: Enjoy with barbequed red meats, hearty stews or dark chocolate. Suitable for vegetarians, vegans and a gluten free diet.