2020 Esk Valley Great Dirt Hillside Merlot Malbec Cabernet

Brand	Esk Valley Estate
Region	Hawkes Bay
Varietal	Merlot Cab Malbec Cab Franc
Size	750ml
Alcohol %	14.5%
Vintage	2020
Country	New Zealand

Esk Valley’s Hillside Malbec Merlot Cabernet Franc, the first was in 2010 when the fruit off the Terraces Vineyard was deemed not quite good enough to make their flagship Terraces wine… with hindsight and evidenced in the 2010 “The Hillside”... Gordon knows he could have produced a great Terraces. The 2013 vintage was widely claimed as the vintage of a generation, and the wines lived up to that. Consequently, a Terraces (Malbec dominant) was produced, along with its ongoing alter-ego “The Hillside”, off the same iconic vineyard. Hillside 2020 was another stunning vintage allowing both labels to be produced. Lucky for us, as the Hillside is a fraction of the price of the Terraces. Cropped at yields near to the much-famed Terraces, handpicked and co-fermented in the 75-year-old concrete Vats before 18 months’ maturation in 100% French Oak (50% new). It needs a long decant now but will be singing at 5 - 10 years of age.

Intensely fragrant perfumes of cassis, dark plums, smoky meat, vanilla, violets and cedar.

Soft, supple and succulent, yet with great palate weight, the tannins are chalky and fine lending support to immense fruit weight expressed by sheer finesse and a very layered, long length. This wine has immense character and for this price there is no excuse not to tuck a case away to enjoy over the next 10 years.