• French oak
• Dark plum & blueberry
• Toasted baking spices
• Lingering finish

Upon opening you are immediately greeted by a powerful nose of dark plum, blueberry conserve and cola, complimented by a background of toasted brown baking spices and oak char. The palate is a juxtaposition of vibrant red berry fruits and finely structured tannins building towards a generously velvety core of cherry and spice balanced by precise seam of acidity that draws the palate out to a long lingering finish. With careful cellaring this wine will age gracefully for 10+ years.

The 2020 vintage in Central Otago was a challenge in many respects, not only weather and yield wise but also with the arrival of the Covid19 Pandemic and a nationwide lockdown on the eve of harvest. Despite the challenges thrown at us, we consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have been able to pick a small but tremendously flavourful crop from our own vineyard and those of our dedicated growers throughout the Central Otago region.

100% hand-picked and predominantly destemmed into small open fermenters with the retention of a high proportion of whole berries. Select fermenters received up to 66% whole bunch, with the finished blend consisting of 8% whole bunch. Spontaneous natural fermentation and 28 – 32 days on skins with a gentle twice daily plunge at the peak of ferment before pressing and transfer to 225L French Oak barrels (25% new) where it underwent Malo-Lactic fermentation and maturation for 13 months. Bottled with minimal fining and filtration.

Food Pairing: Pan seared hare fillet, simply prepared with olive oil, sea salt and coursely ground black pepper.