Wonderfully expressive and beautifully fruited, medium/full bodied with dark red plums, chocolate, boysenberry and savoury tones.  French oak imparts spice and vanilla.  A lovely expression of the variety offering excellent drinkability. The vibrant varietal characters of this wine may be enjoyed when the wine is young however some cellaring will result in a more rounded, complex wine. Soft supple tannins and a lingering finish make this an excellent food wine, ideally suited to red meat dishes and those casual pizza and pasta dinners.

From our origins in 1989, establishing both vineyard and winery, Alpha Domus was a pioneer in the renowned Bridge Pa Triangle Wine District of Hawke’s Bay.  New Zealand family owned, we have always been inspired to create beautiful wines of worth; the importance of quality and expert craftsmanship paramount. Alpha is derived from the first initials of the founding family members names in age descending order, Anthonius, Leonarda, Paulus, Henrikus and Anthony, Domus is Latin for home.

Grapes were picked in several passes from our winery vineyard to obtain a range of ripeness levels and to add complexity.  All vines are cane pruned and bud reduction, shoot thinning and second set removal performed as required.  The 2016 vintage gave us the opportunity to pick Merlot grapes with exceptional flavour and balanced acidity.

A blend of three individual parcels of Merlot from the Estate vineyard.  Each parcel has been fermented then matured in barrel separately.  The majority of this wine comes from our oldest vines, part of the original plantings in 1991.  These vines contribute depth and richness to the wine while fruit from younger vines gives vibrancy and beautiful colour. Warm fermentation temperatures up to 28˚C and extended skin contact maximise texture, weight and complexity.  Individual barrels were selected for this wine based on quality of texture and tannins, but above all freshness of fruit flavour and aroma.

Food Pairing: Pair with Grilled chops, either veal, pork or lamb and especially with herbs such as thyme and rosemary.