Pegasus Bay Maestro
Maestro is part of the Pegasus Bay reserve series of wines and represents the very best of the estates Bordeaux fruit. As with all the Pegasus Bay reserve wines, this celebrated claret style wine is only made in exceptional years. After harvest in April, the grapes began fermentation naturally in stainless steel tanks. During this process the juice was regularly drained and sprayed back over the cap of floating grape skins (rather than plunging), to ensure a perfect tannin balance was extracted from the fruit. The wine was then gently pressed off and put into French oak barriques (50% new). The following summer, when the weather warmed, it underwent a natural malolactic (secondary) fermentation. After maturing in oak for 2 years, a selection from the best barrels was carefully blended to produce the most balanced yet complex wine possible. The finished Maestro blend is approximately 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Malbec. Dark purple and inky in appearance Maestro offers a plethora of both dark fruit and savoury aromas. Blackcurrant, dark plum and cassis sit alongside earthy notes of mushroom, leather, black olive and woodsmoke. The palate is plump and succulent with satisfying concentration and ripe tannins that add structure and complexity, all bound together with a core of refreshing acidity that balances the wine perfectly and prolongs its finish. While ready to drink on release, Maestro will reward careful cellaring for many years to come.