De Grendel Merlot 2008

Name: De Grendel Merlot 2008
Brand: De Grendel
SKU: 26581

A full bodied wine filled with a combination of different berries on the nose. Mulberry, raspberry, and blackberry fruit accompanied by liquorice and mocha flavours carry through on the palate. Well supported by firm French oak tannins.

Traditional Sunday roast lamb and vegetables or roast chicken with butternut. A perfect match for a hearty shank, chickpea and lentil soup served with fennel-studded flat bread.

variety : Merlot [ 100% Merlot ]

winery : De Grendel Wines

winemaker : Charles Hopkins & Elzette du Preez

wine of origin : Durbanville

analysis : alc : 14.36 % vol rs : 2.1 g/l pH : 3.71 ta : 5.3 g/l

type : Red style : Dry body : Full wooded

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

ageing : 5 years.

in the vineyard : 2008 VINTAGE
This is a harvest that will long be remembered by the South African wine industry for the three consecutive rain showers during the first stage of ripening, towards the end of January. Luckily the South-Easter saved the day, drying our vineyards after every rain shower and preventing rot.

VINEYARD
The De Grendel vineyards are situated 7 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean, growing on slopes 200 meters above sea level. The vines are 7-10 years old and yield crops of 5-7 tons per hectare (off 2 300 vines).

SOIL TYPE
Hutton – Oak leaf.

about the harvest: Only handpicked.

in the cellar : Only handpicked fruit was destalked and inoculated in an upright stainless steel tank. To ensure soft ripe tannins, the fermenting red was transferred four times over the skincap for 1 hour periods – a method referred to as ‘aerated pump over’.

After sufficient extraction a pneumatic press was used to press the skins at 0.9 Bar. Three rackings ensured good clarity. Maturation took place in French oak for thirteen months. The French Oak used for maturation was ? new oak, ? second fill barrels and ? third fill barrels.

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