VINEYARDS

The grapes for this wine are sourced from some excellent cool climate vineyards in the Marlborough and Central Otago regions of New Zealand's South Island. For the first time, nearly 50% of the blend came from Central Otago. A wide variety of clones and rootstock were used, along with a mixture of soils and microclimates to ensure a balance of flavour profiles and exceptional quality. The grapes were all harvested in the cool of night or early morning and promptly delivered to the winery to optimise fruit quality.

VINIFICATION

The grapes were destemmed and cold soaked on the skins for five days. The wine was then inoculated with a mixture of pure and wild yeast strains to gain maximum flavour and complexity. Once fermented dry, the wine was pressed off the skins into tank and 10% of the blend went into new French oak barrels for seven months. All of the wine went through malolactic fermentation.

TASTING NOTES

Dark ruby red in the glass, with lifted red berry fruits on the nose, mixed with dark cherry notes and some savoury undertones. The palate displays ripe blackberry and blackcurrant, filled out with subtle sweet spice from the oak ageing.