Elegant Oyster Bay Merlot joins the range

The keys to this elegant, rich and deeply fruited wine are the matching of a carefully chosen clone of the variety (Bordeaux clone 481) to optimum growing sites and then following through with tight, tailored viticultural management and sensitive, traditional winemaking.

The Oyster Bay Merlot grapes are from the sunny Hawkes Bay region, on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is generally acknowledged now that Hawkes Bay has contributed the most to New Zealand's fast growing reputation as a high quality producer of merlot. The Hawkes Bay region provides the merlot vines with slightly warmer growing conditions and warmer nights than Marlborough could provide.

The vineyards growing the Oyster Bay merlot grapes are sited on an ancient alluvial river terraces, formed by the Ngaruroro River. They provide a superb mix of soils over gravelly free draining sub soils, with an abundance of pure river water for irrigation. The vines are warmed by strong clear sunlight during the day and cooled at night by the sea breezes of the Pacific Ocean. In fact, Hawkes Bay enjoys similar sunshine hours and temperatures to Bordeaux.

There is a healthy mix of warmth and gentle summer rain to nurture and sustain the vines and a naturally long, slow ripening season to provide wonderful conditions for merlot grapes to ripen consistently and retain their vibrant flavours.

Oyster Bay Merlot from the Hawkes Bay wine region is about elegance and intensity of ripe fruit, and soft tannins on the palate. It has a burst of richness and a touch of subtle oak that gives lifted spice, softness and extra warmth to the length of the wine.