Rustenberg Stellenbosch John X Merriman 2004

A great vintage following the excellent 2003. There is more restraint in this vintage and the wine is very complex all around. Typical Rustenberg aromas of cellar spices, dark cherries & fynbos. The palate is richly layered with fruit tannin and well-balanced.

variety : Merlot [ 46% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot ]

winery : Rustenberg Wines

winemaker : Adi Badenhorst

wine of origin : Stellenbosch

analysis : alc : 14.8 % vol rs : 2.7 g/l pH : 3.55 ta : 5.9 g/l

type : Red style : Dry wooded

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

ageing : Up to 10 years from vintage.

in the vineyard : Situation: South-West slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain Stellenbosch
Altitude: 300 m
Distance from sea: ±25 km
Soil type: Decomposed Granite (Hutton), Oakleaf
Rootstock: R99, R110, R101-14
Age of vines: 6 - 23 Years
Trellising: Vertically shoot positioned
Pruning: 2 Node Spur pruning
Irrigation: Drip irrigated

about the harvest: The grapes were harvested in February and March 2004.
Grape analysis:
Acidity: 5.00 - 6.00 g/l
pH: 3.3 - 3.6
Sugar: 25-27° B
Yield: 38 hl/ha

in the cellar : All parcels (a total of 44) were vinified separately. The vinification is very traditional i.e. no acid additives, no enzymes, no yeast, just a smidgen of sulphur added to the de-stemmed and crushed grapes. Improves in the presence of air. Rack-and-returns are used for extraction. Primary fermentation takes place over 14-16 days with temperatures peeking at 29 °C. Post fermentation maceration on skins takes place over 3-4 weeks before the wine is run off into casks for MLF. The wine is blended from these various batches after 9 months and spends a further 10-12 months in casks as a blend. The wine is egg-white fined before bottling.
Oak used: 50 % New and 50% 2nd & 3rd fill 225L casks of French oak
Bottled: November 2005
Production: 14 900 cases (6x750ml)

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