De Grendel Merlot 2009

Name: De Grendel Merlot 2009
Brand: De Grendel
SKU: 32629

A full bodied wine filled with a combination of different berries on the nose. Complex Christmas Cake flavors. Mulberry, raspberry, and blackberry fruit accompanied by liquorice and mocha flavors that 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 : 14.5 % vol rs : 2.3 g/l pH : 3.65 ta : 5.5 g/l

type : Red style : Dry body : Full wooded

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

ageing : Up to 5 Years ageing potential.

in the vineyard : We had fantastic rain showers as late as November ensuring a higher water table acting as a buffer against the high temperatures during the 2009 picking season. Due to these conditions the crop was 10 to 14 days later and 10% down in yield, but this ensured better concentration in flavors.

The De Grendel vineyards are situated 7 kilometres 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 2300 vines).

SOIL TYPE Hutton – Oak leaf.

about the harvest: The industry considers the 2009 harvest as one of the best vintages in terms of quality on both red and white varieties.

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 skin cap 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 racking’s 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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