Saint Clair Origin Merlot 2021 Hawkes Bay

The outstanding fruit was sourced predominantly from a single vineyard within the Gimblett Gravels area of Hawkes Bay. The vigour moderating, free draining, gravel soil provides a superb base for the low yielding Merlot. These vineyard sites have ideal ripening conditions for achieving the ripe berry aromatics and balanced tannin structure that Saint Clair Merlot exhibits. The fruit was carefully monitored during ripening; and harvested in the cool evening at maximum flavour maturity and physiological ripeness.

The grapes were destemmed into small stainless steel fermenters for a five-day cold soak to help maximise flavour and colour extraction. During fermentation, the wine was hand plunged and occasionally pumped over to gently extract flavour, colour and tannin. Following primary fermentation, the young wine was kept in contact with skins and tasted daily until the desired levels of extraction and balance had been achieved. Once pressed and settled, the wine was then racked to seasoned French oak where it underwent malolactic conversion. The wine was aged on its light lees, lightly fined and carefully prepared for bottling.