Esk Valley

The Terraces 2006

The famous ‘The Terraces’ Vineyard is perched on the steep, North West facing slopes of Esk Valley in the Hawkes Bay. This sunny, sheltered site was originally planted in the 1940s and then re-established with its current plantings in 1988. It occupies approximately one hectare and is planted with Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, which are harvested and fermented together as a true expression of the vineyard. The soils are complex, containing layers of seashell and limestone, interspersed with clay and volcanic ash. Fertility is low. The vines are spur-pruned, thinned to one bunch per shoot and hand harvested.

WINEMAKING

This wine is a true vineyard blend with the individual plots of Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Franc being harvested and processed together. The grapes were hand harvested, sorted and destemmed to a 70 year old concrete fermenter for fermentation. A selected yeast strain was utilised for fermentation and hand plunging employed for cap management. The finished was aged in new French oak barriques 21 months and given a light egg white fining prior to bottling.

WINEMAKER'S COMMENT

This is a handcrafted wine and true vineyard blend with all harvested fruit being co-fermented in a single open topped fermenter. All efforts have been made to produce a wine that is an expression of its site. The wine is deeply coloured and full of primary black fruits including cherry and blackberry. As a young wine, French oak notes complement the fruit, but with time, complexity and vineyard nuances will predominate. This wine has been sealed with a screw cap to guarantee the quality of each bottle and offer even greater cellaring potential.

FOOD MATCH

An ideal accompaniment to meat and game dishes.

IDEAL DRINKING

Enjoy up to 15 years from harvest.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Region: Hawkes Bay
Variety : Malbec 45%, Merlot 40%, Carbernet Franc 15% approx
Oak Use: 100% new French oak barriques
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.65
Total acidity: 6.38 gL
Residual sugar: n/a