Esk Valley Estate Merlot Cabernet Sauv Malbec 2022

This wine was blended from grapes grown within the renown Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing District. These deep stony soils have excellent drainage and low vigour, ideal for the production of high-quality red wine. Our vineyard sites are close planted and yields per vine are kept low to maximise quality. The 2021 vintage was warm and dry and will be remembered fondly for the quality of grapes harvested. 

The individual vineyard and varietal parcels were destemmed to our concrete and stainless steel fermenters and allowed to ferment with wild yeast. Once active the ferments were hand plunged or gently pumped over to extract tannin and colour from the skins. After a period of maceration on skins the new wines were pressed to barrel and tank for malolactic fermentation and subsequent ageing. The wine was blended and bottled in May 2022. 

This is a smooth and fruit orientated Gimblett Gravels blend. Densely coloured, it has a bouquet of dried herbs, red cherry, blackberry with subtle hints of cedar from a period of barrel maturation. It is soft and generous in nature and can be enjoyed as a youthful wine, but possesses sufficient tannin to age gracefully for many years. 

• Region: Hawkes Bay
• Varietal: Merlot 59%, Cabernet Sauvignon 23%, Malbec 18%
• Size: 750ml
• Vintage: 2021
• Case size: 6x bottles