Stellenzicht Merlot 1997

Sweet, supple entry. Succulent cassis and plum fruit is
very accessible, yet well-structured with ripe, soft tannins. Fresh acid adds liveliness and vibrancy to a wine that has all the classic Merlot flavours. Deep plummy ruby colour with a bright crimson rim. Subtle aromas of mulberries, ripe plums, sweet cherries and mocha chocolate, backed by vanilla-oak and cinnamon-spice. The wood is there, but very much in the background. Serve with less assertive meat dishes like veal piccata, liver, lamb stew, stuffed turkey and chicken, or shepherd’s pie. Delicious with mild cheeses or enjoy at 16 - 18ºC on its own.


variety : Merlot [ Merlot ]
winemaker : Guy Webber
wine of origin : Coastal
analysis : alc : 13.38 % vol  rs : 3.0 g/l  pH : 3.43  ta : 6.3 g/l  va : 0.64 g/l  so2 : 120 mg/l  fso2 : 51 mg/l  
pack : Bottle  

ageing : Ready to enjoy now, but will continue to open up even more when cellared.

in the vineyard : The Merlot vines at Stellenzicht are growing in decomposed granite soils and are grafted on Richter 110 & 99, and Ruggeri 140 rootstocks. The vineyards received only supplementary irrigation, and yielded a low 6.5 tons per hectare.

about the harvest: 1997 was again a very good Merlot year at Stellenzicht. Very healthy grapes were hand-picked at 23.5 to 24.5° Balling

in the cellar : Destalked, crushed and fermented on their skins in stainless steel tanks at 28 to 30ºC. After malolactic fermentation, 34% of the wine was matured in 225 litre French oak barrels for 18 months, while 66% stayed in large French oak for 30 months.

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