> Review this wine
This is an elegant, earthy and full-bodied red wine. Crafted from grapes harvested from low-yielding vineyards, this wine was made using Bordeaux-based wine making techniques to emphasise complexity, tannin structure and soft acidity - for a wine that will develop gracefully with time in the bottle.
Release Date: November 2003
Regions: Hawke's Bay 100%
Varieties: 44% Merlot,
24% Cabernet Sauvignon,
20% Cabernet Franc, 12% Malbec
This elegant, earthy and full-bodied red wine is from an outstanding Hawke's Bay vintage.
Crafted from grapes harvested from low-yielding vineyards, this wine was made using Bordeaux-based winemaking techniques to emphasise complexity, tannin structure and soft acidity - for a wine that will develop gracefully with time in the bottle.Description
Colour: Rich and deep with a vibrant red hue.
Aromas: Powerful berry fruit characters, complemented by spicy French oak.
Palate: Shows ripe fruit characters of intense berry fruit, integrated with rich oak and a backbone of fine-grained tannins and balanced acidity.
Food matching suggestions
Elegant, earthy and full-bodied, this wine complements lamb, beef and venison beautifully.
Try it with pan-fried lamb rump with mint and fresh raspberries on salad greens. Next time you are having a roast add a splash of Church Road Reserve Merlot Cabernet and a small handful of berries (e.g. raspberries) to gravy to give it a lift and bring out the complementary flavours in the wine.
Recommended Cellaring
This wine will reward careful cellaring for up to 10 years. Over this time, the primary berry fruit characters will diminish and will be replaced by more complex flavours and aromas. Colour evolution will accompany these changes.
Harvest
Vintage 2000 was yet another excellent year for red wines in Hawke's Bay. The growing season was warmer and drier than the 30-year average for the region. This produced very ripe fruit with low acidity and excellent colour, flavour and tannin levels. The grapes were harvested in April 2000.
Brix at harvest: 23
Winemaking
Winemaker: Tony Prichard
Grapes were pumped over very gently (with aeration) during fermentation. The cap was allowed to reach 30 C during the peak of fermentation to ensure optimal colour and tannin extraction. The wine remained on skins for a further 15 days after fermentation to soften tannins and stabilise colour.
Aged in French barriques (mainly new) for approximately 16 months, with regular rackings to encourage further softening and development of the tannins and colour.
This is yet another outstanding example of a full-on Bordeaux-style red wine, produced under our Church Road Reserve label. It shows the very best of premium Hawke's Bay red grapes produced in a strictly Bordeaux style.
Analysis
Alcohol: 13.5% by volume
pH: 3.65
Total acidity: 5.6 g/l as tartaric
