Hill&Dale Merlot 2009

Colour: Brilliantly sparkling ruby.
Bouquet: Spicy strawberries with a hint of savoury cedar.
Taste: Medium-bodied and well balanced with very fruity berry flavours. Uncomplicated and gentle with a calm, clean finish.

Enjoy on its own or with veal, turkey or cottage pie. Try it as an aperitif with some strawberries and balsamic vinegar.

variety : Merlot [ 100% Merlot ]

winery : Hill and Dale

winemaker : Guy Webber & Samantha de Morney-Hughes

wine of origin : Stellenbosch

analysis : alc : 13.27 % vol rs : 1.6 g/l pH : 3.44 ta : 6.0 g/l va : 0.33 g/l so2 : 66 mg/l

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

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

ageing : The wine will reach its full potential in the next two to three years.

in the vineyard : Background
Stellenzicht's Hill&Dale label offers a range of accessibly styled wines with a New World character for international appeal, created by award-winning winemaker Guy Webber and his team. Despite their being made for early and easy enjoyment, Webber has eschewed a generic format for these wines, instead choosing to clearly express their origins.

Grapes for the Hill&Dale range of wines are sourced exclusively from Stellenbosch vineyards. An extensive vineyard management programme is in place that includes inputs from the various viticulturists and under the guidance of vineyard guru, Prof. Eben Archer.

The name for the range was derived from Stellenzicht's Hillandale farm located just outside the town of Stellenbosch.

Vineyard Location
The vineyards, planted between 1987 and 1990, are situated on gentle slopes facing north-east, planted at an altitude of between 160m and 230m above sea level and grown in fertile soils of decomposed granite and Table Mountain sandstone. The vines are all grafted onto nematode-resistant rootstocks and trellised on five-wire fence systems. Supplementary irrigation was given when necessary, and yields averaged 5.4tons per hectare.
Viticulturist: Prof. Eben Archer

about the harvest: The grapes were harvested from the middle of March at around 23.5° Balling.

in the cellar : After destalking and crushing, the mash was fermented in stainless steel tanks at 28° for six days before being transferred to oak barrels and vats for further maturation of around 10 months.

email the winery

email this page

find our wines in :