Kenzie "River Flow" Merlot/Franc 2023 - 12%

Merlot / Cabernet Franc

Raukawa

 Our fruit comes from the Organic Paritua vineyard which sits on an old river bed formed by the braided Ngaruroro River. Vines planted in 2003, grow on gently rolling and flat land that lie beneath the limestone rich Raukawa hills.

Planted in 2003, the soils are made up of free draining “red metal” gravels overlaid by alluvium derived by loess, volcanic ash, greywacke and limestone.

Accompanied by high sunshine hours and low rainfall, this site is perfect for these varieties. 

Season:

The 2022 vintage started with a warm spring and early summer. In late January the growing season turned towards a La Nina pattern with cooler weather leading to fine and restrained flavours.

Winemaking:

Merlot – 83%              Cabernet Franc – 17%

The Merlot fruit was destemmed directly to an open fermenter. After a few days, wild fermentation spontaneously started and progressed for 20 days with a maximum temperature of 29 deg C. Light plunging by hand occurred once a day.

The Cabernet Franc was picked a few days later and fermented as carbonic whole bunches for a period of 14 days. Stomped twice before pressing.

The varieties were pressed together to tank for a few days settling, before they were racked to puncheons and barrel to complete malolactic ferment and ageing for 8 months at cool temperatures.

No fining or filtration. Minimal sulphur was added two weeks before bottling.

Alc – 12.0%                                                     Volume 158 dozen

Red fruits, dark plum, spice, licorice and herb notes. The palate is soft and gentle, but has a beautiful medium weight, light juicy tannins and a fresh acid finish.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER:

Kenzie is about pushing the boundaries of style, while remaining authentic to where we come from.

We aim to use our creative instincts without the fear of failure.

As a small, independent producer, we aren’t held back by convention and can embrace risk and intuition.

Our goal is to keep true to ourselves, while working holistically and respectfully within our communit