Wine Note

The grapes were hand picked from our Stony Bay and Havelock Vineyards. Due to the cool weather during flowering the crops were small which intensified the flavours during the long and dry autumn.

Fruit

Hawkes Bay

Alcohol Content

12.9%

Vinification

The grapes were whole bunch pressed. Some of the juice was run off straight to barrels for natural yeast fermentation. The balance of the juice was settled overnight and racked the next morning. Fermentation was conducted in barrels and some of the barrels underwent malo-lactic fermentation. The wine was matured in barrels for 10 months on gross yeast lees with weekly stirring. Prior to bottling the wine was fined, stabilized and filtered.

Barrel Percentage

New French Oak Barriques 73% 
One year old French Barriques 27% 

Bottling

The wine was bottled on the 28 March 2002

Sensory

Colour: Medium straw in colour with a green tint and brilliant clarity. 
Aroma: Very complex aroma. Citrus fruit with delicate cedar and biscuity components from aging on lees in barrels. 
Palate: Full bodied wine with a sweet ripe fruit mid palate, balanced acidity and a long complexed finish.  

Cellaring

3-5 years.