Stellenzicht Golden Triangle Merlot 2006

Colour: Good intensity of rich ruby with garnet edges.
Bouquet: An earthy array of savoury berry fruit and herbs.
Taste: Classic and elegant with hints of red berry fruit, coriander and vanilla. Wonderfully soft and subtle while the medium to full-bodied structure lingers well at the end.

Herb-crusted lamb, oxtail and "tamatie bredie" are amongst the favourites but it is a great accompaniment to an array of similar dishes.

variety : Merlot [ 100% Merlot ]
winemaker : Guy Webber
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 14.2 % vol  rs : 2.4 g/l  pH : 3.55  ta : 5.9 g/l  va : 0.39 g/l  so2 : 112 mg/l  
type : Red  style : Dry  body : Full   wooded
pack : Bottle  closure : Cork  

ageing : Very approachable in its youth and should reach its full potential at an age of around 5 - 7 years.

in the vineyard : Background
Flanked by the Helderberg and Stellenbosch Mountain, between Stellenbosch and the False Bay coast, lies an exceptional tract of land that benefits from terroirs eminently suited to the cultivation of the highest quality wine grapes. This jewel in the crown of the magnificent Stellenbosch wine-growing region is known as the Golden Triangle. At its core lies Stellenzicht.

The award-winning Stellenzicht range reserves its Golden Triangle label for those wines which most eloquently demonstrate the unique terroir of this special part of the Helderberg, home to some of South Africa's most exceptional wines.

Vineyard Location
The vineyards, planted between 1987 and 1990, are situated on slopes facing west and north-west, planted at an altitude of between 150m and 230m above sea level and grow in a combination of decomposed granite and Table Mountain sandstone. The vines, grafted onto nematode-resistant rootstocks of Richter 99, R110 and Ruggeri 140 and trellised on five-wire fence systems, all received supplementary irrigation when necessary and yielded an average of 7.4 tons per hectare.

Viticulturist: Prof. Eben Archer & Johan Mong

about the harvest: The grapes were harvested by hand between 20 and 23 March at an average of 25° Balling.

in the cellar : After destalking and crushing, the mash was fermented in stainless steel tanks at 38° C for 6 days before being transferred to oak barrels for further maturation. The wine was matured in a combination of American (38%), French (48%) and Eastern European (14%) oak barrels for 10 months. None of the oak was new

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