2018 Esk Valley The Terraces

Brand	Esk Valley Estate
Region	Hawkes Bay
Varietal	Merlot Malbec Cabernet
Size	750ml
Alcohol %	14.0%
Vintage	2018
Country	New Zealand

The most collectible, unique and jaw-dropping red wine experience in New Zealand, Esk Valley The Terraces combines the single vineyard ethos of Burgundy with the wine style of Bordeaux… then gives it a Hawke’s Bay spin! The only high-end red wine that is basically a field blend, it is the truest expression of site you’ll see in this country, made only in tiny quantities of only 200-300 x 6-packs a year, Gordon’s new viticultural techniques have taken this great vineyard to another level and the density of flavour is nothing short of breath-taking. A blend of Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the grapes are often picked together (and co-fermented) as the vineyard team prune sequentially to make sure they all ripen at the same time. Not released in 2017, hopefully the 2018 will be the first of another stretch of great vintages for Hawke’s Bay. A formidably concentrated and exotic style of wine, 2018 The Terraces will go down as truly legendary wine, to be enjoyed over the next 25+ years.

Impenetrably inky in the glass, the legs on the glass confirm the density and viscosity of this incredible wine. A gorgeous nutty espresso note leads the way, giving way to wild berries, dark chocolate, soy, undergrowth, smoked meat, blackberry, cassis, leather, liquorice and black doris plum.

In the mouth, it’s nothing short of magnificent. A truly unique experience even in its impetuous youth, thanks to the dominance of Malbec, it’s already harmonious yet lavish and wild, despite (and because of) its massive concentration and extract. Imposingly structured with perfectly ripe tannins supporting the lavish fruit core, dried herb and complex earthy notes sweep across the velvety palate culminating in a lip-smacking dark chocolate and berry finish… About as good as any red wine ever made in New Zealand, it’s a truly profound wine in every sense of the word. Delicious now, it will provide you immense pleasure through 2040+.