Elephant Hill Stone Merlot 2019, Hawkes Bay

There’s always a fine seductive quality about Merlot and this wine exemplifies that idea with a plush almost exotic plum and purple flowers bouquet followed by complexity from lees and barrel spice, toasty oak and a smoky earth quality. Dry, youthful, firm textured and fruity at the core with flavours of plums and smoky dark berries, anise and vanilla, dark flowers and baked nut flavours. There’s also a light saline quality adding to the mouthfeel and length. A lovely wine ready to drink from 2023 through 2029+.

94 Points

Excellent

RRP from $59.00

98% Stone Vineyad in the Gimblett Gravels with 2% from the Earth Vineyard in the Bridge Pa Triangle, 30 Months on lights lees, 22 months in barrel - 38% new. 800 cases produced.