variety : Merlot [ 100% Merlot ]
winemaker : Gyles Webb & Rudi Schultz
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 14.89 % vol rs : 2.1 g/l pH : 3.62 ta : 5.0 g/l
type : Red style : Dry body : Full wooded
pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork
in the vineyard : Varietal: Merlot – clone 192 and 348A
Root stock: R99/110
Soil type: Hutton – decomposed granite
Age of vines:; Planted 1988 and 2000
Plant density: 2460 – 3200 vines per hectare
Trellising: Vertical hedge
Pruning: 2-bud spurs every 12cm
Yield: Approximately 10.8 t/ha
Irrigation: Supplementary drip
Vintage: Moderate to warm weather spells led to near perfect ripening conditions. Possibly one of the best vintages the Cape has seen.
in the cellar :
Yeasts:: Natural occurring yeasts
Fermentation temp 27 °C
Method: De-stalked, hand sorted, crushed, pumped into stainless steel fermenters, cold soak for 2 days, pumped over twice a day for 5 days, generally with an aerated pump over in the morning and a closed circulation in the afternoon. After fermentation the wine is left on the skins for two days before pressing and then racked to barrel for malo-lactic fermentation. Wood maturation 18 months in French oak barrels, 30% new, balance in older barrels.