Fleur du Cap Merlot Unfiltered 2003

International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2006 - Silver Best in Class

The wine has an intense and concentrated ruby red colour. On the nose the wine displays luscious merlot fruitiness infused with subtle vanilla puffs. On the palate this full-bodied wine is well structured with a powerful fruitiness rounded off with a slight tannic finish.

Perfect with Parma ham, roast lamb kebabs and a hearty oxtail meal. An ideal accompaniment to robust Italian dishes.

variety : Merlot [ 100% Merlot ]
winery : Fleur du Cap
winemaker : Thinus Krüger
wine of origin : Coastal
analysis : alc : 13.85 % vol  rs : 2.0 g/l  pH : 3.58  ta : 5.7 g/l  
type : Red  style : Dry  body : Medium  taste : Fruity   wooded
pack : Bottle  

AWARDS
International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2006 - Silver Best in Class
in the vineyard : Made from superior grapes meticulously selected from prized vineyard blocks in the Cape Coastal region, Fleur du Cap Unfiltered wines are shaped in perfect harmony with nature. Handpicked in the vineyard and handcrafted in the cellar, these new generation wines capture the highly sought-after qualities of varietal character and terroir. Sedimentation, racking and fining as opposed to filtration maximise the preservation of colour and flavour elements resulting in wines that abound with fruit and flavour.

Terroir
Climate, soil, altitude and slope orientation are selected to capture as much varietal character as possible. Climate is mild with south and east facing slopes offering natural protection against late afternoon sun. Cooling breezes from the Atlantic Ocean ensure rich, slow-growing crops. Soils are predominantly medium textured and well-drained with good water holding capacity.

Vineyards (Viticulturist: Bennie Liebenberg)
The grapes were selected from a single vineyard in the Faure region in Stellebosch. The 12-year-old vineyard produced a yield of 8 tons/ha while the 5-wire Perold system was used for trellising. Pest and disease control was implemented according to South African subjective IPW standards.

about the harvest: The grapes were handpicked at 25º Balling at the end of February.

in the cellar : In the cellar the juice fermented on the skins for 8 days at 26ºC. After fermentation the wine underwent malolactic fermentation. It was matured on the fine lees in 1/3 new, 1/3 2nd fill and 1/3 3rd fill of French oak barrels for 18 months and was racked after 12 months. The wine received an egg white fining and was bottled without any filtration or stabilization.

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