Fleur du Cap Merlot Unfiltered 2004

The wine has an intense and concentrated ruby red colour. On the nose the wine shows rich plum and blackcurrant flavours infused with gentle vanilla whiffs. On the palate this medium-bodied wine displays fresh lively berry fruit flavours with hints of vanilla and a distinctive aftertaste.

This succulent Merlot is 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 : Justin Corrans
wine of origin : Coastal
analysis : alc : 14.11 % vol  rs : 2.6 g/l  pH : 3.31  ta : 6.8 g/l  
type : Red  style : Dry  body : Medium  taste : Fruity   wooded
pack : Bottle  

AWARDS
Veritas 2007 - Double Gold
2007 International Wine Challenge – Bronze Medal
2007 Decanter World Wine Awards – Commended
Veritas 2006 - Silver
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 two vineyards; one is situated in Somerset West and the other in the Bottelary region. The Bottelary vineyard is situated on a northwest-facing slope, 12-years old and produced a yield of 8 tons/ha. It was trellised on the 3-wire Perold system. The Somerset West vineyard is northwest facing on duplex soil with good water retention capacity. The vines received supplementary irrigation through drippers and are trellised on a 5-wire hedge system. The vines from both vineyards received supplementary irrigation at the varaison. 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 28ºC. After fermentation the wine underwent malolactic fermentation. It was matured on the fine lees in new casks of French oak for 18 months and was racked every month, for 3 months. The wine received an egg white fining and was bottled without any filtration or stabilization.

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Merlot
Merlot
Merlot
Merlot
Merlot
Merlot