Delegat's Reserve Wines
Our Reserve wines are selected and sourced from exceptional winemaking districts within New Zealand’s renowned Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough regions. These hand-crafted wines are afforded special care and attention at each stage of winemaking to ensure they remain an expression of their origins, and to offer the structure and concentration to enjoy upon release or reward with further cellaring.
Delegat's Reserve Hawke's Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
Intense purple black with crimson hues, Delegat's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot has an intense aroma of plum, currant and red berryfruit that carries into the palate. The wine has opulent, upfront fruit complemented with a velvety texture and a wonderful toasty finish.
- 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot
- Pre fermentation maceration
- Regular racking
- 12 months aging in French oak barriques
Pre fermentation maceration gives good colour and fruit tannin extraction. Fermentation and aging in French oak barriques provides complexity, a lifted aroma, structure and integrated soft tannins.
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Delegat's Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay
A concentrated, fruit driven aroma of peach and pineapple, with hints of citrus and vanilla. On the palate the wine is beautifully layered and textured with weighty, rich tropical fruit and notes of toast and butter, leading to a lingering, seductive finish.
- 100% Fermentation in French oak barriques
- Extended lees contact
- No malolactic fermentation
- Ageing in French oak barriques for 6 months
Fermentation and 6 months maturation in new and one year old French oak barriques provides added complexity and enhanced mouthfeel. Extended yeast lees contact and stirring imparts texture and creaminess to the palate, all combining to give excellent weight and length to the wine.
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Delegat's Reserve Hawke's Bay Merlot
Bright, lifted aromas of blackberry and cherry with hints of clove and chocolate, meld with a generous palate of fleshy black plum and spice that lingers onto a well rounded finish.
- Hand plunged twice daily
- Primary and secondary fermentation in french oak barriques
- 6 Months ageing in French oak barriques
Hand plunging provides excellent colour and fruit tannin extraction. Fermentation and ageing in French oak barriques provides complexity, a lifted aroma, structure and integrated soft tannins.
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Delegat's Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
A powerful wine with impressive flavour purity. Pungent passion fruit, guava and lime citrus aromas with an elegant integration of mineral, ripe citrus, tropical fruit flavours on a well-rounded palate, underpinned with a citrus zest that lingers on the finish.
- Hand-picked parcels were whole bunch pressed
- Inoculated with an ‘aromatic yeast’
- Vibrancy and fruit intensity was retained by a long controlled fermentation.
- Bottled young after a short period of lees contact
Gentle handling retained the delicate fruit flavours of the grapes, and the tropical flavours were accentuated using aromatic yeast.
A long, slow and temperature-controlled tank fermentation and short period of lees contact delivered a young, fruit forward and vibrant wine.
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Delegat's Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir
Delicately aromatic with appealing currant, intense dark cherry and hints of spice. The wine shows an array of fleshy plum, cherry, blueberry and sweet spice flavours on a concentrated palate, with a silken texture that provides stunning elegance and length.
- Inoculated with Burgundian yeast then hand plunged
- Underwent melolactic fermentation
- 12 months aging in new French oak barriques
Fermentation and aging in French oak imparts fine structure and complements the intense fruit flavours. Hand plunging provides wonderful rich colour and fruit tannins, adding structure and complexity to the wine.
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