Accolades:
96/100 - Bob Campbell MW (2016 vintage)
94/100 - Mike Bennie, The Wine Front (2015 vintage)
Tasting Notes: Alluring, complex and multi-layered nose of dark-fruit. Aromas of dark cherries, blueberries and plums with hints of violets, chocolate and spices. Juicy and tantalizing acidity with rounded tannins. Real elegance, power, sumptuousness, immensity and emotion is transmitted by tasting this nectar. Enormously long finish, showing a wine great in its youth but with the necessary structure and balance for great longevity. Tasted July 2021.
Winemaking Notes: "Perfectly healthy, destemmed grapes allowed for a long cold soak to extract the superb flavours and beneficial antioxidants of the skins. The must progressed through a long cool wild yeast fermentation and extended post maceration. After gentle pressing, I transferred the young wine into French Barriques and Puncheons (20% new) for it's natural malolactic fermentation. The minimal oxygen exchange over a long 30 months of maturation on the fine lees softened and smoothed tannin and acidity without too much wood tannin extraction. The wine and wood married together to form a richer, more complex and textured wine, able to age for many years in the bottle. No fining. No filtration. Minimum effective SO2. Natural goodness.” - Hans Herzog
Certification: Organic
Alcohol Volume: 14.0%
Variety: Montepulciano
Region: Marlborough, New Zealand.