Esk Valley "Heipipi" The Terraces Malbec/Merlot/Cab Franc 2016

Esk Valley "Heipipi" The Terraces Malbec/Merlot/Cab Franc 2016

NZD$173.00
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Description

The jewel in the Esk Valley crown. This single vineyard wine sourced from the Heipipi Vineyard is widely regarded amongst the finest of New Zealand’s wines. Produced from extremely low yielding vines planted in 1989 and harvested on a single day, this field blend of Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Franc is the purest expression possible from this dramatic, steeply terraced site. Dry farmed, co-fermented in a single concrete fermenter with wild yeast and bottled without either fining or filtration this is a wine of purity and complexity, expressing the grandeur of a most unique vineyard.

One of New Zealand's most collected red wines.

 

Tasting Notes

This is a handcrafted wine with much effort made to produce a wine of elegance that is a true expression of its site. The wine is deeply coloured and full of primary black fruits, including cherry and blackberry. As a young wine, cedar 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.

Vineyards and Winemaking

The individual plots of Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Franc were harvested on the 20th of April and processed together as a field blend, as they have since 2001. The grapes were hand harvested, sorted and destemmed to a single concrete vat for fermentation with wild yeast. Hand plunging was employed for cap management and the finished wine aged in French oak barriques (50% new) for 18 months before being bottled without filtration.

--------THE PRODUCER--------

Esk Valley

Esk Valley has come a long way since Sir George Fistonich purchased the historic Glenvale Winery from the Bird Family in 1986. From a time when ports and sherries ruled the market, Esk Valley began forging a reputation for its innovative and quality wines. Under winemaker Gordon Russell, Esk Valley broke boundaries introducing new grape varieties and new wine styles to Hawkes Bay.

From the original historic cellars in the north of Hawkes Bay to Esk Valley’s new purpose-built winery within the confines of the renowned Gimblett Gravels, Esk Valley continues to produce a collection of wines regarded amongst New Zealand's finest. Utilising a very traditional and hands off approach including concrete fermenters for the finest parcels of red grapes, Esk Valley continues to build on its reputation.

 

--------THE REGION--------

Hawke's Bay

Sunny Hawkes Bay is along the eastern coast of New Zealand's north island. It is here where some of the most fruit-forward wines come from. They are known for their tropical Chardonnays and their juicy reds from the excellent Bordeaux wines to the peppery Syrahs.