“Melika’s Field is made to be an ever-evolving expression of the greatest white fruit our Home Block has to offer in any given vintage. Made to illicit a long-lived memory of time and place, each vintage of Melika’s Field will inevitably be completely different to the last, in terms of both style and composition, as each vintage is immeasurably different and our own tastes and preferences wax and wane with the ebb and flow of the years. By taking the emphasis away from the voice of any one single variety, we’re able to clearly communicate the volcanic origins and maritime influences of our unique Bay of Islands terroir. Named for the winemakers partner, who was given a pair of overalls and a spade on a first date, and helped plant what is now the Home Block ”
Made from a series of co-harvested and co-fermented selections of fruit from around our Home Block vineyard, taken throughout the 2021 vintage. A gentle whole bunch press cycle, a brief settling period then fermented in a mixture of large format oak as well as acacia barrique. Malolactic fermentation has been withheld this year for a more crisp, restrained and pure expression, with very little battonage. An 18 month elevage ensures this wine, whilst retaining purity, is also imbued with an evocative floral aromatic profile, an elegant breadth of texture, incredible length on the palate and an exquisitely complex breath of salinity.
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Albariño, Semillon, Sauvignon Gris, Petit Manseng, Muscat ā petit grains
12.5% alc.
--------THE PRODUCER--------
144 Islands
144 Islands is dedicated to the production of quality single-vineyard wines from our home estate in the Bay of Islands, as well as specially selected sites throughout the Far North of New Zealand. We place emphasis on producing wines that convey a point of time and place, honouring the rich history of our region, the birthplace of our nation.
--------THE GRAPE--------
Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Albariño and Petit Manseng
--------THE REGION--------
Northland
Its northern location and close proximity to the sea give the Northland region an almost subtropical climate – humid, sunny and warm.
Warm spring temperatures, hot dry summers, and calm, clear autumn days allow fruit to ripen early, creating full-bodied and rich wines.
The first vines in New Zealand were planted in the Bay of Islands by the missionary, Reverend Samuel Marsden in 1819.
In the late 1800s, the Croatian gumdiggers arrived bringing their European tradition of winemaking.
The region's tropical Chardonnays, popular Pinot Gris and vibrant Viogniers are leading the white wine growth. Red wines produced include spicy Syrahs, stylish Cabernet and Merlot blends, peppery Pinotages and complex Chambourcin.
