Main Divide Waipara Merlot Cabernet 2020

Main Divide Waipara Merlot Cabernet 2020French oak Blackberry Cinnamon Textured "Pure New Zealand aromas, with that intensity of pure fruit and hints of leafiness. Silky palate with sour cherry, redcurrant and ripe plum. The oak doesnt dominate. Mature on the nose, with savoury tobacco and cedar notes alongside forest floor and cherry. The palate is silky and plush, still with ample acidity. Spiced plum notes, a lovely brightness and acidity, with cherry and dried mushroom notes. Evolves

• French oak
• Blackberry
• Cinnamon
• Textured

"Pure New Zealand aromas, with that intensity of pure fruit and hints of leafiness. Silky palate with sour cherry, redcurrant and ripe plum. The oak doesn’t dominate. Mature on the nose, with savoury tobacco and cedar notes alongside forest floor and cherry. The palate is silky and plush, still with ample acidity. Spiced plum notes, a lovely brightness and acidity, with cherry and dried mushroom notes. Evolves well on the glass" Decanter Magazine, Aug 2023

"Gorgeously ripe and richly expressed, the wine shows blackcurrant, spiced cherry, cured meat, thyme and almond characters. The palate displays excellent weight and plump mouthfeel, well supported by silky texture and chalky tannins. Flavoursome and bold with a lengthy robust finish" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Apr 2023

"Rich, weighty and full-flavoured red with dark-fleshed plum, dark berry, chocolate/mocha, the ripe flavours suggest a favourable vintage. Gutsy wine with a relatively smooth texture. Great value at this price" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Apr 2023

"The red fruit with fresh herbs such as bay leaf and basil make this wine really interesting, fresh and thoughtful. Mediumbodied with fine tannins and a fresh finish. Delicious now" James Suckling, Mar 2023

"This wine is ready to drink upon purchase with aromas and flavours of dark plums and blackberry fruits, there’s a layer of baking spice and mild toasty wood qualities with vanilla and toasted oatmeal. The core of fruit with acidity and fine tannins are at the core of the wine, it is balanced and well made (as always) with best drinking from today through 2025" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Apr 2023

"Full-bodied and fleshy, with a strong surge of blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, ripe and smooth, this barrel-aged red offers fine value" Michael Cooper, The Listener Magazine, Apr 2023

On release it has a vibrant garnet tint. The nose is fruit-driven and spicy, brimming with aromas of dark cherry, blackberry and plum, supported by a savoury underlay of field mushroom, black olive, and liquorice, with flecks of tobacco leaf and a whisp of cinnamon. The mouthfeel is textured yet plush, with ripe tannins and a supple body balanced by a seam of refreshing acidity that gives the wine a sustained and invigorating finish. This classic marriage of Bordeaux varieties from a fabulous season has produced a wine that is both rich and juicy in the mid-palate, with a backbone of acid and tannins that offer outstanding structure and length.

Settled weather over flowering provided a healthy fruit set, which was then thinned back to desired levels. The ensuing summer was dry with very little rain, resulting in perfectly ripened small berries full of intense flavour and concentration. Thankfully, our harvest was able to proceed during the C-19 lockdown, and an unbroken autumn full of warm days meant the fruit was picked at its optimum ripeness.

This wine is made in the same style as the celebrated Claret from Bordeaux, using traditional methods. After being picked in April, the grapes began fermentation naturally in stainless steel tanks. During this process the juice was regularly pumped over the cap of floating grape skins (rather than plunging), to ensure a perfect tannin balance was extracted from the fruit. The wine was then gently pressed off and put into French oak barriques. The following summer, when the weather warmed, it underwent a natural malolactic (secondary) fermentation. After maturing in oak for 12 months, the various batches were then carefully blended to produce the most complex and balanced wine possible. The finished product is approximately 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.