Elephant Hill Hawke’s Bay Le Phant Rouge 2018

Elephant Hill Hawke’s Bay Le Phant Rouge 2018Smoky oak Plum & red cherry Rosemary & star anise Silky tannins "Aromas and flavours of wild forest berries, plums, savoury bitter chocolate, black currant and toasty wood spices of oak. Youthful and quite complex. On the palate vibrant, tense and very engaging with texture from firm chalky tannins and medium+ acidity, a core of light and dark red berry fruits that reflect the nose, toasty barrel spices with clove and vanilla then sour raspberry and

• Smoky oak
• Plum & red cherry
• Rosemary & star anise
• Silky tannins

"Aromas and flavours of wild forest berries, plums, savoury bitter chocolate, black currant and toasty wood spices of oak. Youthful and quite complex. On the palate - vibrant, tense and very engaging with texture from firm chalky tannins and medium+ acidity, a core of light and dark red berry fruits that reflect the nose, toasty barrel spices with clove and vanilla then sour raspberry and black cherry. A lovely wine that should be enjoyed with food. Best drinking from 2022 through 2028. Decant for service" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, May 2021

"Delightfully fruited and inviting with dark plum, blackcurrant, dried herb and almond characters, it's succulent and supple displaying rounded mouthfeel and fine texture. Well structured by fine chalky tannins, finishing delicately dry and persistent. At its best: now to 2025" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Apr 2021

It is a medium-bodied Merlot dominant blend displaying cassis, plum and red cherry characters with a succulent texture and great finish. Savoury bouquet and palate with smokey oak, rosemary and star anise with soft undertones of leather. Very soft but warming white pepper notes that warm and compliment the silky tannin to complete a rounded mouth feel.

The 2017-2018 season will be remembered as on which was consistently warmer day to day than previous years. It was not that temperatures were necessarily higher, it was more a sense of milder conditions overall, rather than suffering from extremes.

The 2018 Le Phant Rouge is a Hawke’s Bay red blend made up predominately of Merlot and Malbec from our Gimblett Gravels and Bridge Pa Triangle vineyards. The grapes were carefully de-stemmed to open top steel cuves and fermented over a fourteen day period. The wine went through malolactic fermentation with minimal handling and light oak elevage for 12 months.

Established in 2003, Elephant Hill is located within a stone’s throw of the Pacific Ocean on the idyllic Te Awanga coast of Hawke’s Bay on New Zealand’s North Island. The winemaking at Elephant Hill is driven by tradition while not losing sight of what innovation can bring to the blend. Their aim is to make wines that are balanced, elegant and a true expression of the vineyards they come from.