Rosé 2020 6x75cl

• 75cl bottle

This dry style Rose is widely regarded as New Zealand's premium Rose and has won many awards since its first vintage in 1991. It is an excellent choice with many foods or as an aperitif. It is a beautiful pale pink, dry to taste with aromas and flavours of redcurrants, strawberry and peach.

Vineyards

This wine was grown in two inland merlot vineyards. Both produce a full favoured and elegant Rose. They are gravel based river terraces, one at Puketapu, the other one on the banks of the Ngaruroro River on Ohiti Road. Intensively managed with both shoot and bunch thinning practised, allowing us to pick fully ripened grapes at low sugars in the pursuit of an elegant and dry style Rose.

Vintage

This was a winemaker’s dream harvest. Good sized crops were ripened under blue skies, allowing us to pick at our leisure. Not only that but it was a very early harvest which proved helpful as the pandemic cast its shadow over Hawkes Bay. Unusually for a drought plagued harvest all varieties seemed to prosper. The days were warm and dry and the nights were cool enough for the vines to rest, retaining acidity in the fruit and bringing a rare freshness to the wines.

Winemaking

The individual vineyard parcels were pressed immediately upon arrival at the winery, resulting in juice with little colour or tannin. After settling the juice bright, the fermentation was conducted at low temperatures to capture the vibrant red fruit flavours we seek in our Esk Valley Rose. The ferment was stopped when almost dry, leaving a small quantity of residual sugar to balance the natural acidity.

Enjoy with:

• Fish/Shellfish
• Pizza/Pasta
• Salads and Picnics

Serve chilled and enjoy with salmon, smoked fish, cured meats, white meats and Summer salads.