Testify Red by Daniel Brennan 2019

Our powerhouse Gimblett Gravels Malbec dominant blend. This speaks to Daniel's entire career of making Malbec. Pair now with your boldest red wine food matches or age this premium wine for as long as you can resist.

Hawke’s Bay is located on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The region enjoys dry summers with moderate, cool nights. This wine reflects a single vineyard Malbec dominant blend 80% with 20% Merlot which was grown organically on the famous Gimblett Gravels appellation. The Gimblett Gravels is marked by specific soils laid bare from the constantly shifting Ngaruroro River over millions of years. The river’s last shift in 1867 left these amazing rocky soils, which combined with the slightly inland Heretaunga Plains’ weather, and classic viticulture techniques created a uniquely expressive Malbec.

The fruit was then destemmed and only lightly crushed to allow the skins to slowly breakdown during the fermentation. Some of the fermenters were a co-ferment of Malbec/Merlot. The fruit was cold macerated for 5 days on skins before slowly warming each of the small fermenters and allowing a wild fermentation to kick in. Fermentation lasted 17 days before the wine was left to macerate on skins for an additional 19 days. The wine was pressed to tank before it was put to a French oak barriques, 20% of which were new barrels. It was racked and blended after 24 months in oak and remained in tank for an additional 4 months before bottling in November of 2020.

If there’s a ‘big’ wine in my lineup it is this one. But keeping with the Testify mantra, it’s still a wine of purity and elegance and truly the best Hawke’s Bay red I could in each vintage. From the first 2016 rendition I made of purely Malbec, this has evolved to include Merlot (some co-fermented) and coming soon a Malbec/Syrah. Coming off the certified organic Gimblett Gravels vineyard this wine is intense, structured and quite peppery making for an intriguing experience.