

By augmenting the structure & finesse of Cabernet Sauvignon with the vibrant fruit of Merlot, winemakers are creating elegant yet powerfully intense, red wine blends. The fruit for this dark & deeply fragrant wine is sourced from Hawkes Bay, a region renowned for producing exceptionally elegant Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Tasting Notes
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Food Pairing
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Merlot-Cabernet blends are particularly good when paired with robust, full-flavoured dishes, red meat and cheeses. Drink now or hold for up to 5-8 years when the wine will develop further complexity.
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Vineyards and Winemaking
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Once crushed to open-top fermenters the grapes were inoculated with several strains of yeast and fermented at 28-30 degrees C. Post fermentation the parcels were pressed to oak barriques, 15% new, for 12 months maturation. The wine was blended, egg white fined and filtered to bottle.
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Soils And Viticulture
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2021 was an exceptional Hawkes Bay vintage. Moderate yields combined with warmer than average temperatures and dry conditions encouraged fruit to achieve optimum ripeness and maintain excellent condition through to harvest. The fruit from this wine comes from a range of Villa Maria Hawkes Bay vineyards, where free draining alluvial soils temper vine vigour, resulting in low yields of ripe and concentrated fruit.