Barton Merlot 2012

The saturated dense purple coloured Barton Merlot exhibits sweet blackberry and dark cherry aromas with a dash of roasted coffee. On the palate it has outstanding freshness, rich ripe fruit, good underlying acidity and soft ripe tannins with a layered finish and an exceptionally long aftertaste which lingers.


variety : Merlot [ 100% Merlot ]
winery : Barton Vineyards
winemaker : Reinhard Odendaal
wine of origin : Walker Bay
analysis : alc : 14.81 % vol  rs : 1.8 g/l  pH : 3.64  ta : 5.6 g/l  
type : Red  
pack : Bottle  size : 0  closure : Cork  

in the vineyard : Barton’s vineyards (latitude 34 degrees south) lie in the Botriver Valley on the cooler south slopes of the Kogelberg, some 180 metres above sea level, absorbing the cooling Atlantic breezes from Walker Bay eleven miles distant. The cool sea breeze lowers disease incidence and aids in good colour formation. The frost free moderate cool climate and southerly aspect gives a slow and extended grape ripening period preserving the flavours and aiding phenolic ripeness of the grape. Temperatures in the growing season average between 19 and 22 degrees centigrade. The dominant soil formation is gravely coarse sand with ferruginised quartzite gravel overlying soft weathered Table Mountain sandstone with clay patches. Average annual rainfall is 550 mm.

about the harvest: The grapes were handpicked at optimum ripeness.

in the cellar : The grapes were crushed, destalked and selected at Barton Cellar. The juice (or must) was cold soaked for five days prior to fermentation to enable better colour extraction from the skins. Regular pump-overs during fermentation ensured maximum colour, tannin and flavour extraction. Fermentation was at an average temperature of 28 centigrade over 15 days. The wine was pressed and allowed to finish its malolactic fermentation in barrel.

Barrels: The wine was aged for 16 months in 100% French Oak barrels of which 30% was new wood, 20% 2nd, and 25% each 3rd and 4th fill.
Blending: 100% Merlot
Bottling: The wine was bottled at Barton Cellar into 4744 x 750 ml bottles.

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Merlot