Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Merlot 2011

Name: Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Merlot 2011
Brand: Fleur du Cap Unfiltered
SKU: 33153

This elegant wine is deep ruby in colour with a bright hue. On the nose it shows aromas of plums, dark chocolate with subtle minty notes. Hints of cigar box give indication of the well integrated oaking. The aroma and flavour profile is balanced with an elegant structure with the firm tannins hinting to good maturation potential.

This succulent Merlot is perfect with Parma ham, roast lamb kebabs and a hearty oxtail meal. An ideal accompaniment to robust Italian dishes.

variety : Merlot [ 100% Merlot ]

winery : Fleur du Cap

winemaker : Justin Corrans

wine of origin : Somerset West

analysis : alc : 14.45 % vol rs : 1.78 g/l pH : 3.57 ta : 5.78 g/l

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

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

AWARDS

2013 Veritas Wine Awards - Silver Medal
2013 International Wine and Spirits Competition - Silver
2012 Veritas Wine Awards - Bronze
2012 The International Wine Review: scored 90

in the vineyard : Made from superior grapes meticulously chosen from prized vineyard blocks in the Cape Coastal region, Fleur du Cap Unfiltered wines are shaped in perfect harmony with nature. Handpicked in the vineyard and handcrafted in the cellar, these new generation wines capture the highly sought-after qualities of varietal character and terroir. Sedimentation, racking and fining as opposed to filtration maximise the preservation of colour and flavour elements resulting in wines that abound with fruit and flavour.

Terroir
Climate, soil, altitude and slope orientation are chosen to capture as much varietal character as possible. Climate is mild with south and east facing slopes offering natural protection against late afternoon sun. Cooling breezes from the Atlantic Ocean ensure rich, slow-growing crops. Soils are predominantly medium textured and well-drained with good water holding capacity.

Vineyards (Viticulturist: Bennie Liebenberg)
The grapes were selected from two vineyards in Bottelary and Devon Valley, planted in 1991 and 2002. The vines are in balance with the terroir and delivers between 8 and 9 tons/ha. The vineyards are on warmer northern and western slopes and irrigation is only supplementary in the late season. Pest and disease control was implemented according to South African subjective IPW standards.

about the harvest: The grapes were handpicked.

in the cellar : Grapes were handpicked, carefully destemmed and lightly crushed into stainless steel fermentation tanks. The juice was inoculated with a specially selected yeast and fermented on the skins at 28ºC for 8 days. Flavour and tannin extraction was evaluated daily and managed by pump-over and delestage. After fermentation, the wine was drained off with the hard pressings excluded. The wine was placed in new French oak barrels where malolactic fermentation occurred. The wine was matured for 18 months and was racked numerous times to enable it to be bottled without filtration.

Cellar Master: Andrea Freeborough, Winemaker: Justin Corrans

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