Seifried Nelson Zweigelt 2021

Wine Analysis

Vineyard: Seifried Brightwater Vineyard
Sugar at Harvest: 23.7°Brix
Date of Harvest: Late March 2021
pH of Wine: 3.40
T.A of Wine: 6.0g/L
Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans: Yes

The Vineyard

Our Brightwater Vineyard is situated 15km from the coast and is sheltered from the south by the Richmond ranges. The ‘soil’ is a combination of rocks and boulders, which is very hard on the farm equipment, but vital for holding the warmth of Nelson’s sun and for ripening the Zweigelt grapes.

The Brightwater vines are grown in an extremely stony area of the vineyard, where water and nutrient levels are low. This helps us to restrict the plants vigour and to crop at low levels.

Winemakers Note

The Zweigelt is a red grape variety originating in Hermann’s homeland of Austria. It is a favourite at Seifried family gatherings. Our Brightwater vineyard has just 11 rows, totalling less than one hectare of Zweigelt vines.

Zweigelt has full round berries and bunches, with rich purple skin and intense fruit flavours. The grapes were de-stemmed and fermented on their skins, and hand plunged twice a day. Following fermentation, the wine was gently pressed from the skins and transferred to a mixture of new and three year old French oak barriques. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation and remained in barrel for 12 months. The wine was racked from the barrel in June 2022.

Tasting Note

The 2021 Seifried Zweigelt comes from this extremely light yielding vintage in Nelson due to spring frosts, poor flowing and boxing day hail! However, the tiny crop we did harvest was exceptional! The wine is deep and concentrated - blackberry, coffee and hints of dark chocolate. The palate is rich and warm with layers of fruit and generous tannins leaving a long lasting finish. Grab a bottle while you can!