Esk Valley The Hillside, Hawkes Bay, 2017

This wine is sourced from the famed `the Terraces` vineyard. This limestone-based vineyard on the northwest facing hillside at the old Esk Valley winery site in Bay View has long been known for its ability to make elegant and complex wine.

‘Rich fruit meets liberal, classy oak in this dense, rich and concentrated co-fermented field blend of Malbec (40%), Cabernet Franc (33%) and Merlot (27%). The 2017 harvest in the region was blighted by rainfall and yet this wine shows huge density and distinction. Winemaker Gordon Russell believes this was the latest-picked vineyard in Hawke`s Bay, which just hung out and managed not to rot, while others frantically picked. It hails from vines planted on Esk Valley`s `Terraces` vineyard in 1989 and was fermented in an 85-year-old concrete fermenter followed by 18 months` maturation in French oak barrels. The abundant yet resolved tannins are sited toward the front of the mouth, which is characteristic of Malbec, providing a satisfying grip and a firm structure, while there`s plentiful acidity. Blackberries, plum, violets, clove and oak-derived vanillins linger on the lengthy finish. A shining light in a difficult year. Can be approached now if you like primary fruit but its substance and structure will allow aging into the next decade.’ 94/100 2022-2033 Rebecca Gibb MW