Colour:
Deeply coloured ruby red with a purple tinged rim.
Aroma:
Intense dark bramble like aromas with toasty oak and savoury notes.
Palate:
Wildberry notes, blackberries and layered dark fruits with a hint of dried thyme. The palate is rich and full-bodied with a silky-smooth structure and a long savoury finish.
Ageing:
Perfect for drinking immediately this wine will continue to develop for at least another five years from vintage date and beyond.
Winemakers:
Hamish Clark & Kyle Thompson
Region:
The foot of the Wither Hills in Dry Hills Estate, south-east of Blenheim.
Terrior:
Soils: Deep, vigour-moderating clay.
Topography: Flat, even land.
Climate: A relatively warm site, with high diurnal temperature change.
Winemaking:
The fruit was harvested when it reached full physiological ripeness and maximum flavour maturity. At the winery, the fruit was held cold for five days prior to fermentation to help extract maximum flavour and to enhance colour stability. A specially selected yeast was used to carry out the primary alcoholic fermentation during which the fermenting must was hand plunged up to six times daily at the peak of fermentation. At dryness, the wine was pressed, then racked off gross lees to a mixture of 33 per cent new French oak and older seasoned 225-litre oak barriques.
During maturation, the barrels were regularly tasted until the right balance was achieved (11 months). During the time in oak, the young wine completed malolactic fermentation. The wine was then carefully extracted from oak, blended and prepared for bottling.
Viticulture:
The fruit was carefully monitored during ripening and harvested in the cool of the evening at maximum flavour maturity and physiological ripeness. The grapes harvested were 100 per cent clone 667.
Wine Analysis:
Alcohol 13.5% v/v
Titratable Acidity 6.4g/litre
pH 3.4
Our Food Match Recommendation:
Well-matched with BBQ beef fillet or rib-eye steak and home cut fries.
Vegetarian Friendly
Click here to open the 2019 tasting notes as a PDF.
Previous Vintages Tasting Notes:
GOLD Medal - Marlborough Wine Show 2020
93/100 - The real Review - 28 FEB 2021
4.5 Stars - Winestate NZ, Marlborough 2020
