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Welbedacht Cricket Pitch 2005

From our wide range of grapes and vineyards, we select only the finest grapes for Welbedacht Wines. Cricket Pitch is specifically blended to be multi-layered and complex with well-integrated fruit components.

Full red-ruby. Vibrant aromas of blackcurrant, minerals, dark chocolate, liqourice and orange blossom. Concentrated and harmonious showing the full range of aromas from floral, red berry and oak to fresh earth, dry herb and sweet spice. The palate is well rounded and full bodied with massive fruit concentration and spice. Great balance with fine elegance. Chewy but ripe tannins, will reward long cellaring.

variety : Merlot [ 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 4% Shiraz ]
winemaker : Matthew Copeland
wine of origin : Coastal
analysis : alc : 14.38 % vol  rs : 2.4 g/l  pH : 3.42  ta : 5.8 g/l  va : 0.55 g/l  so2 : 80 mg/l  fso2 : 35 mg/l  
type : Red   wooded
pack : Bottle  closure : Cork  
in the vineyard : 2005 was a year of low yields and even lower rainfall. Because of less water availability yields were down which meant greater fruit concentration. Late rain during December caused the Botrytis alarms to go off for early ripening varieties but proved ideal for the later ripening Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot and Cabernet Franc, which are the components of this blend.

Although the Burger family has become synonymous with rugby and Schalk Snr and Schalk Jnr are only the eighth father and son to both wear the Springbok Jersey, their first love has always been for the exceptionally intriguing game of cricket.

Coupled with their love and passion for the soil and for farming, Welbedacht’s first release is an ode to the role that terroir plays in the ancient arts of fine winemaking and playing the game of cricket.

As a measure of this passion we cut and nestled our cricket oval into the same terroir as our beloved vineyards and named our first release "Cricket Pitch."

about the harvest: An average yield of 7-8 tons/ha was harvested in the early morning, while temperatures were still low.

in the cellar : After harvesting the grapes were then gently destemmed and crushed.

Fermentation temperatures were moderate to promote elegance and temper harsh tannin extraction. Once pressed, the wine was racked to barrel, where it under went malo-lactic fermentation. Only second, third and fourth-fill barrels were used to enhance the wine's natural finesse.

After 18 months in oak, the wine was blended and given a light albumen (egg white) fining to round-off any unwanted tannins. Before bottling the wine was delicately filtered.

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OTHER VINTAGES

Welbedacht Cricket Pitch 2006
Merlot
Welbedacht Cricket Pitch 2005
Merlot
Welbedacht Cricket Pitch 2003
Merlot