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£22.00Unison New Zealand Excalibur Wine 2016
Grown, fermented, matured and bottled at Unison Vineyard
52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Syrah.Vintage 2016
Vintage 2016 growing season can be summed up as good, but challengingly erratic. We experienced a cool start to the growing season with the growing degree running below average until mid-January. February was a scorcher, and permitted the ripening of all our grapes to move into the “normal window.” March and April had threats of rain, but on the whole, were fine and warm allowing us to pick healthy grapes in good conditions.
Winemaking
Gentle handling and attention to detail are the hallmarks of our winemaking. We handpick our grapes, then de-stem and lightly crush to just break their skins before they go into small, open topped fermenting vats. The ferments are worked by hand plunging along with drain and returns to maximise gentle tannin extraction, and extended post ferment maceration allows us to achieve a balance between fruit intensity and tannin structure. After basket pressing the individual component varieties of the 2016 Excalibur went into barrel.
The blend was put together mid-winter 2017 and continued to mature in oak barrels. 2016 Excalibur spent 20 months in barrels and was fined using fresh egg whites and filtered before bottling on the property in March 2018. Bottle aging on site for 5 years and released August 22.
Tasting Note
Wonderful complexity of aromas. Warm spicy blueberries, black Doris plums, violets and vanilla.
Seamless and elegant on the palate with concentrated flavours of dark berry fruits, laced with warm spice, purple florals and cocoa,
Great freshness and persistence on the finish. Enjoy now or cellar with confidence. -
£15.00Unison New Zealand Rocky Red Wine 2020
Grown, fermented, matured and bottled at Unison Vineyard
68% Merlot 32% Cabernet Sauvignon
Unison Vineyard is a small Family Estate in the heart of the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing District in Hawkes Bay. Established in 1993, with densely planted vines that are carefully managed for low yield, ripeness and intense flavour. Our red wines are made from 100% Gimblett Gravels fruit grown in our own vineyard.
Rocky Red is an easy drinking style red wine and is a testament to the Rocky soil which enables us to create these amazing red wines.
Vintage 2020
After average winter rainfall, the soils were carrying adequate moisture going into the growing season. Spring was mild and flowering early. By December rainfall was lower than average, a trend that would continue. Temperatures in December/January were warm without excessively hot days. Late Jan and through Feb day time temperatures consistently reach into 30⁰ C, with cool night temperatures. This diurnal swing gave perfect conditions for ripening. Dry conditions continued through autumn and our grapes were picked in optimal health and maturity.
Winemaking – hand crafted with attention to detail.After a carefully monitored fermentation with daily manual working of the small vats, the new wine spent 3 weeks macerating on skins while the tannins and fruit evolved and developed. When a balance point was reached we “devatted” and basket pressed the grape skins. The new wine spent 19 months maturing in oak and is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It was bottled on the property in January 2022 with a further 7 months bottle aging on site before release
Tasting Note
The dense dark purple/red colour highlights the perfect ripeness of the 2020 vintage. Enticing complex aromas of dried dark plums with vanilla, red rose and freshly dried wild herbs.A round, silky entry leads into the flavour loaded palate where layers of
warm dark berry fruits, plums, spice and dried herb dance and mingle. The texture and concentration is maintained through the palate and fine tannins give structure and lingering moorish finish. Enjoy now or cellar through 2029. An amazing wine which is exceptional value for money.
Vegan Friendly