Merlot has been the backbone of the industry in Hawkes Bay for many years. It loves the regions climate and it consistently makes great wine. With the endless pursuit of fitting more into a red wine these days the focus can get lost in a maze of oak and alcohol. We put the focus right back on this wonderful grape with this wine. It's full of dark cherry and chocolatey notes with a medium body. Extremely approachable and easy drinking, as Merlot should be.

2020 was a fantastic season with a long hot and dry summer. The fruit was hand harvested and fermented on skins for 21 days with frequent pumping-over and plunging down. The wine was aged in neutral oak for 12 months and then in tank for a further 7 months before bottling without any fining or filtration.