Vergelegen Merlot 2006

Name: Vergelegen Merlot 2006
Brand: Vergelegen
SKU: 23188

Ripe plum colour with a ruby rim. The nose shows ripe fruit flavours, spice and a touch of chocolate. The ripeness of the fruit is balanced by fresh fruit acid and soft wood/fruit tannins. The aftertaste is long and lasting.

variety : Merlot [ 85% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon ]

winery : Vergelegen Wines

winemaker : Andre van Rensburg

wine of origin : Coastal

analysis : alc : 15.0 % vol rs : 3.0 g/l pH : 3.6 ta : 6.0 g/l

type : Red style : Dry body : Full taste : Fruity wooded

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

ageing : Accessible after one year in the bottle but will last at least six to eight years.

in the vineyard : All the grapes came from Vergelegen’s vineyards: Kopland, Stonepine, Korhaan and Rooiland. Although most of the Merlot was planted on north and north-west facing slopes, the Korhaan and Lower Schaapenberg vineyards are on cooler sea-facing aspects. Two clones were used: a French Bordeaux and an Italian clone. The vineyards are all dry-land, but are carefully monitored to avoid stress.

about the harvest: The fruit was picked at peak physiological ripeness to avoid the necessity of adding acid and prevent the extraction of hard tannins.

in the cellar : Fermentation took place at 28°C and lasted seven days. The wine was then left to macerate for two weeks before being run off into barrels for malolactic fermentation. It was racked four times to encourage tannin evolution and then matured for twenty months in small French oak barrels, only 50% of which were new.

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