Intro to Esk Valley Rose – Esk Valley Rose from Hawkes Bay New Zealand is a dry rose that is a blend of Malbec and Merlot grapes and the cool fermentation retains the vibrant berry fruit aromas and flavours of the fruit. Full tasting note and wine making – Esk Valley Rose Hawkes Bay is a dry style Rosé is widely regarded as a New Zealand’s premium Rosé, having won many awards over the years since its first vintage in 1991. Aromas of strawberries and red fruits predominate while a hint of spice adds complexity. The wine is full flavoured, elegant and delicious, reflecting the excellent 2021 Hawkes Bay harvest. Fermentation was at cool temperatures to retain the vibrant red fruit flavours. The fermentation was stopped when almost dry, leaving a small quantity of residual sugar to balance the crisp natural acidity of this cool climate wine. This blushing beauty is created in the vineyard where the Merlot vines are carefully managed to give full flavoured grapes with lower sugars. The result is a glass of crisp, dry refreshment with moderate alcohol levels and bags of style. The producer – Esk Valley winery is situated in the north of New Zealand’s picturesque Hawkes Bay; the winery sources fruit from Hawkes Bay, including the world-renowned Gimblett Gravels and Marlborough, as both regions consistently produce grapes of an extremely high quality. Esk Valley is a boutique winery, but it is unique in that many of the techniques used to craft its award-winning wines are dictated by the winery itself. The old concrete vats, the layout of the buildings, and the absence of modern technology mean the winemakers at Esk Valley have had to make wine in a simple, honest, hands-on way. Esk Valley Estate sources grapes from both its own vineyards and from contract growers. Traditional methods allied with modern technology enable the winemakers to make wines with texture and complexity. Small batch winemaking prevails, and the 80-year-old open topped concrete fermenters are still used for the production of the hand-made red wines. Chardonnays are barrel fermented and red wines are barrel aged for a minimum of one year with the ‘Winemakers Reserve’ styles spending at least 18 months in French oak barriques. Drink with – Try with pizza, pasta, salads, picnics, oriental food
