PURIRI HILLS POPE 2014

41% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Franc, 18% Carmenère, 10% Malbec

13.5% Alcohol

Less than 1500 bottles produced

98 Points "Quite a Bordeaux-like red that's more vinous than fruity. Savoury, dried herb, spicy oak, leather, violet, dark berries, plum and cocoa powder. Still quite youthful with plenty of cellaring potential." - Bob Campbell

2014 was an ideal vintage with generous fruit and excellent conditions. We had rain though flowering and again during picking in April to challenge us. The canopy and fruit are manicured by hand throughout the season. We are dry land farmers and embrace the practices of natural farming managing our vineyard with organic or biodynamic soil additions and manual canopy and understory work.

We handpicked parcels at the peak of ripeness between 4-15 April. Total production for the vintage was 14.8 tonnes from 5.5 acres of vines. Yields were approximately 1kg per vine producing 33 hectolitres per hectare. Vine spacing is 1 x 2.5 metres. Vine age is 13 to 17 years