Rabbit Island Merlot 2022

Vineyard: Seifried Edens Road vineyard
Sugar at Harvest: 22.8°Brix
Date of Harvest: Early April 2022
pH of Wine: 3.49
T.A of Wine: 5.7g/L
Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans: Yes

Our 2022 Rabbit Island Merlot comes from our Edens Road vineyard. This vineyard is bordered by the Wairoa River and is notable for its exceptionally stony soil. The bouldery free-draining soil is very harsh on vineyard equipment, but vital for holding the warmth of the Nelson sun and for ripening grapes.

The fruit was harvested in early April 2022, and was fermented on their skins in stainless steel open-top fermenters over a two week period. The fermenting grapes were plunged twice daily throughout fermentation to help extract colour, tannin and to build structure into the wine.

The young wine was drained to oak barrels immediately following primary fermentation to begin malolactic fermentation. It was aged in one, two and three-year-old French barriques. The final wine was blended, stabilised and bottled in May 2024.