Wine

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Martello Rock 2021

Martello Rock 2021 is a medium-bodied blend of Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, offering a vibrant expression of coastal Matakana with layers of summer berries, leather, liquorice and earthy spice wrapped in silky tannins.

International customers can purchase Martello Rock 2021 exclusively through Wine Collective Direct —delivering a taste of Matakana to your door.

Regular price: $39.00
Regular price: ~~$39.00~~
Sale price: $39.00

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Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes:

An unusual blend of Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, dark brooding crimson in colour with a vibrant edge. Aromas of blueberry and boysenberry, charcuterie, floral perfumes and gun metal savoury notes.
This seductive medium-bodied wine offers a youthful palate of juicy raspberry and dark plum, alongside the dusky warmth of leather, liquorice, mocha and cinnamon, with a saline streak encased in layered silky tannins.

Accolades

Cameron Douglas MS: 94 pts
Aromas and flavours blackberries and black currant, lots of baking spices and cacao scents, I like the sense of place with this wine, it always speaks of Matakana and its soils, sea air and lifted aromatics. Dry, weighty, fresh, new and very stylish on the palate, flavours mirror the bouquet with a mix of boysenberry and balck berry, lots of roasted plums and baking spices. Firm-ish tannins and medium++ acidity on a baseline of ripe fruits ensure this wine will continue to develop if stored well. Best drinking from 2027 through 2035+.

Aging Potential:

Totally approachable now, but in stable cellaring conditions, will continue to evolve and develop further complexity over the next 5-8 years.

In the Vineyard:

Once again, the effect of lockdowns saw a smaller team at work in the vineyard, without our usual international backpacker support and winter pruning, all done by hand, was particularly challenging. A very early budburst gave us a very long flowering period this vintage, something experienced in most grape growing regions in the country. Veraison (colour change and softening of the berries) also was extraordinarily early, so in an unprecedented move, we started netting even before the end of December.

Our vineyard team did their usual meticulous job of creating an open vine canopy by removing excess foliage by hand to allow air movement to dry the fruit and allow sunlight penetration. We are clearly reaping the benefits of the application over many years of organic soil health-enhancing products, producing healthier vines which can better withstand disease.

Although the drought conditions of 2020 were not repeated in 2021, we were able to carefully monitor the developing fruit ripeness through a warm summer and hand harvest an exceptional quality crop. As with most regions in the country, our yield for this vintage was generally 20% less than the previous year, a reflection of a cooler spring during the flowering period.

In the Winery:

In the winery, each of the 4 varieties was destemmed and crushed separately into small open-top fermenters. A selected yeast instigated fermentation, with the rising ‘cap’ of skins initially hand-plunged four times daily. As alcoholic fermentation proceeded, the plunging regime was decreased to avoid over-extraction.

After a period of post-fermentation maceration to add structure and balance, the wine was racked, the skins gently pressed, settled, then aged in new, 1 and 2 year old French oak barriques. After 12 months, selected barriques were blended, bottled without fining and then bottle-aged before release.

Vintage Notes

Harvest Period: 27 February – 22 March 2021
Bottling: 14 April 2022
Composition: 66% Malbec, 21% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol: 13.5% ABV
Total Acidity: 7.4 g/L
pH: 3.24 (indicative of freshness and structure)
Closure: Natural cork
Bottle Size: 750ml
Production: Limited release of 350 dozen bottles

Crafted with care and precision, Martello Rock 2021 reflects the season’s balance and vitality—capturing the vibrant character of our coastal vineyard through this expressive and age-worthy blend.