Wine Note Rich deep red with a purple tinge. A lifted nose of dark fruit and spice, some cedary smokiness with sweet oak. Dark berry fruits carry through onto the palate. A wonderfully complex wine, warm and concentrated with excellent length. Elegant, fine tannins on the finish along with nuances of French oak. Alcohol Content 13.8% Harvest The 2004 vintage had a long, warm growing season which produced fabulous ripeness. The grapes were hand harvested and displayed excellent maturity at harvest. Vinification Individual varieties, blocks and clones were harvested separately and processed individually. The grapes were destemed and crushed into fermentation vessels and inoculated with yeast. The length of fermentation varied between varieties and tanks. The ferments were pumped over 3 times per day and the temperature peaked at 28 degrees. Some of the batches were left on skins for up to 4 weeks. Malolactic fermentation (MLF) occured in tank and barrels. On the completion of MLF the wine was sulphured and the pH adjusted. The wine was racked and returned to barrels four times and was in oak for 21 months. The wine was taken out of barrels and left in tank for 3 months prior to bottling. The wine was not fined before bottling and was sterile filtered into the bottle Barrel Percentage The Matariki 2004 Quintology was matured in predominantly fine grain French oak from a selection of coopers. Approximately 40% was new oak while the remaining 60% was aged in seasoned 1, 2 and 3 year old barrels Blend Composition Merlot 32.3%, Cabernet Franc 24.34%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20.80%, Syrah 12.39%, Melbec 10.18% Sensory Colour: Rich deep red with a purple tinge. Cellaring 5 - 8 years |
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