Juicy, fresh black plum with a hint of vanilla, bright red currants and alluring spice.
We had to go out of our way to find the best place to grow Merlot. In the Hawke’s Bay we discovered perfection. From its abundant clear sunlight and ancient gravel soils, comes a Merlot that excites the senses with its fragrance, softness and elegant fruit intensity. The heroes in our Oyster Bay Merlot are always freshness of ripe fruit, spice, and soft tannins on the palate, offering a wonderful Merlot perfectly crafted to accompany any special moment.
Vineyard Locations
Hawke’s Bay is one of New Zealand’s warmest grape-growing regions. From Crownthorpe’s sun-drenched terraces to the stony soils of the Gimblett Gravels, Hawke’s Bay produces wine as diverse as the landscape itself and some of New Zealand’s best Merlot. We’re proud to have two stunning locations in the Hawke’s Bay region.
Our Hawke’s Bay vineyard locations:
Gimblett Road, Heretaunga Plains and Crownthorpe Terraces, Hawke’s Bay
Winemaking Techniques
The fruit is destemmed, crushed and transferred into stainless steel fermentation tanks. The must is inoculated with pure yeast cultures to enhance varietal aromatics and fruit characters. Tailored rackings and pump overs are performed during fermentation to obtain delicate fruit tannins and maximise flavour and colour extraction. Following gentle pressing, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in tank and in French oak barriques. A large portion of the blend is then aged in French oak barriques over a period of months to provide softness and complexity to the wine.
Merlot Characteristics
Oyster Bay Hawke’s Bay Merlot offers the aromas and flavours of juicy black plum, bright red currants, alluring spice and a hint of vanilla.
