Fleur du Cap Merlot 2006

This full-bodied wine is ruby red in colour with subtle aromas of ripe berries and cherries underlined by elegant oak spices. On the palate this well-balanced wine is velvety soft yet mouth filling with clean soft fruit and an oaky backup with gentle tannins.

This robust red is the perfect partner to spicy Mediterranean food, full-flavoured fish, duck or guinea fowl.

variety : Merlot [ 100% Merlot ]
winery : Fleur du Cap
winemaker : Justin Corrans
wine of origin : Coastal
analysis : alc : 14.1 % vol  rs : 2.0 g/l  pH : 3.5  ta : 5.68 g/l  
type : Red  style : Dry  body : Full  
pack : Bottle  closure : Cork  

in the vineyard : The continued success of the Fleur du Cap range of wines is the result of a team approach at The Bergkelder that starts with meticulous vineyard selection and is driven by an overriding passion for winemaking and constant experimentation to create a new generation of superior quality wines. The wines are shaped in perfect harmony with the forces of nature to capture the highly sought-after qualities of varietal character and terroir.

Terroir
Climate, soil, altitude and slope orientations are selected to capture as much varietal character as possible. The 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. The soil is predominantly medium textured and well drained with good water holding capacity.

The vineyards (Viticulturist: Bennie Liebenberg)
The grapes were sourced from vineyards in the Stellenbosch and Somerset West areas. The Stellenbosch vineyards were planted in 1992 at altitudes ranging from 210 to 250 meters above sea level. These vineyards are 12 years old and produced a yield of 8 tons/ha. An overhead sprinkler system for supplementary irrigation was put to use while the 5-wire hedge system was used for trellising. Pest and disease control was implemented according to South African subjective IPW standards. The Somerset West vineyard is 8 years old, produced 8 tons /ha and received supplementary irrigation through drippers. The vineyard was established on R99 rootstocks, facing South. The vines are trellised on a 5-wire hedge system and are 150 metres above sea level.

about the harvest: The grapes were picked by hand at 24º - 25° Balling in mid February.

in the cellar : In the cellar the juice was fermented at 25° to 28° C for 10 days. After fermentation the wine underwent malolactic fermentation. It was matured for 14 months in 97% French and 3% American oak barrels. The American oak were all new barrels while the French oak consisted of 5% new and 35% second fill, 35% third fill and 25% fourth fill barrels.

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Merlot
Merlot
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Merlot
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Merlot
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Merlot