Stellenrust Merlot 2012

This wine offers blackcurrant and ripe plum with some liquorice tones. The oak opens up to a creamy palate and enhances velvety tannins with a sweet and sour tang.

This Merlot offers nice sweet plum flavours which will compliment oven roasted venison, spiced with splashes of fresh rosemary leaves and chopped garlic.

variety : Merlot [ 100% Merlot ]
winemaker : Tertius Boshoff
wine of origin : Western Cape
analysis : alc : 14.1 % vol  rs : 2.7 g/l  pH : 3.48  ta : 5.9 g/l  
type : Red  style : Dry   wooded
pack : Bottle  size : 750ml  closure : Cork  

Merlot is probably one of the most difficult grape varieties to grow worldwide. This is why we take extra care in the vineyards of making this wine on the vines rather than in the cellar. Harvesting time in accordance to climate and season is of ultra importance.

in the vineyard : The vines used for this wine comes from a North-Eastern sloped block of vineyards on our Bottelary property – all trellised vines under irrigation aged 19 years and planted to clay soils.

about the harvest: Grapes are picked between 24° to 25° Balling.

in the cellar : Grapes were crushed and allowed cold maceration for up to 2 days. It is then inoculated with imported French yeast strains. Fermentation happens at between 23-28 degrees Celsius and regular punch downs are done every 4-6 hours. After skin contact of 7 days, the juice is drained from the skins for malolactic fermentation. It is then drawn into French oak barrels for an 18 month maturation period.

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Merlot
Merlot
Merlot
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Merlot
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Merlot