Hans Family Estate - Secret of Marlborough - Montepulciano 2018

A vibrant nose displaying brooding aromas of blackberries and blackcurrants developing even further to a rich dark chocolate aftertaste. With each sip you get a tantalising feeling of the vivacious acidity and smooth tannin structure which gives the wine life and length. Youthful concentration and one which is made for the ages!

Vineyard: Wairau Valley - Rapaura, Prime location. One of the warmest sites in the Wairau valley, special micro-climate from adjoining Wairau river. Naturally frost protected.

Soil Type: Shallow (<45cm) stony, gravel and sandy soil. Well drained, developed from stony alluvium. Not one row shows the same soil type.

Perfectly healthy, destemmed grapes allowed for a long cold soak to extract the superb flavours and beneficial antioxidants of the skins. The must progressed through a long cool wild yeast fermentation and extended post maceration.

After gentle pressing, I transferred the young wine into French Barriques and Puncheons (20% new) for it’s natural malolactic fermentation. The minimal oxygen exchange over a long 30 months of maturation on the fine lees softened and smoothed tannin and acidity without too much wood tannin extraction. The wine and wood married together to form a richer, more complex and textured wine, able to age for many years in the bottle. No fining. No filtration. Minimum effective SO2. Natural goodness