Merlot & Cab Franc '25

Haiku:

Brooding Blackberries
Dark Chocolate & Mocha 
Mouth Coating Tannins

Winemakers Notes:

The 2025 vintage was an absolute stunner. We had a very warm start to summer but from around boxing day this gave way to a cool spell in January. This ultimately drew out the growing season giving the grapes the opportunity to develop more interesting flavours. They became "flavour ripe" as opposed to "sugar ripe". The Merlot was hand harvested on March 27th with the Cabernet Franc coming off 10 days later on April 6th.

The grapes were destemmed into open topped fermenters where they underwent a ‘wild fermentation’. A daily aerative pumpover each morning followed by a gentle punch down in the evening was carried out over the 10 days of ferment. Once dry the wine continued to macerate on skins for a further 3-4 weeks. The wine was then pressed off the skins and put to seasoned oak barrels for 9 months.

Blackberries, boysenberries and black doris plums are present on the nose, along with dark chocolate, espresso and black licorice. Velvety tannins coat the mouth providing structure that carries the fruit through to a long satisfying finish.

This wine is a delicious example of what the Hawke’s Bays Bridge Pa Triangle can offer in excellent vintages. We believe this wine will age gracefully through to 2030 and beyond if cellared carefully.

Vineyard: Lesley’s Vineyard
Sub region: Bridge Pa Triangle
Variety/Clone: 80% Merlot/481 & 20% Cabernet Franc/Erindale

Alcohol: 13.6%
pH: 3.75
TA: 5.0 g/L

Reviews: TBA