Pegasus Bay Maestro Merlot Cabernet Malbec 2019

On release it has a deep inky hue. The nose uncoils in waves, a core of brambly dark berry fruit overhauled by a rush of tobacco, black olive tapenade, vanilla and smoked game, leaving ripples of cinnamon, peppermint and sage. The palate is broad shouldered and muscular, with assertive tannins balanced by a concentrated ripe mouthfeel and a long spicy finish. Dense, meaty, and generously structured, this powerful and full-bodied wine upholds its place as the heavyweight in our reds division.

The vineyard is located within the Waipara Valley of North Canterbury, on free draining, north facing terraces. It benefits from being in the lee of the Teviotdale Range, giving maximum protection from the Pacific’s easterly breezes and thus creating a unique mesoclimate. The vines are over 30 years old, with a large proportion planted on their own roots. The soil is free draining and of low fertility, resulting in naturally reduced vine vigour. This produces low yields of optimally ripened, high quality, flavourful grapes, which fully express the qualities of this unique terroir. The vineyard has warm days, but the nights are amongst the coolest in the Waipara Valley, drawing out the ripening period of the grapes, while still retaining good natural acidity.

Maestro is part of our reserve series and represents the very best of our Bordeaux fruit. As with all our reserves, this celebrated claret style wine is only made in exceptional years. After being picked in April, the grapes began fermentation naturally in stainless steel tanks. During this process the juice was regularly drained and sprayed back 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 (50% new). The following summer, when the weather warmed, it underwent a natural malo-lactic (secondary) fermentation. After maturing in oak for 2 years, a selection from the best barrels was carefully blended to produce the most balanced yet complex wine possible.

2 years