Zonnebloem Merlot 2012

ageing : These full-bodied wines are well-structured to show varietal character with rich, robust flavours, yet remain accessible and easy to drink with a soft palate, and in the case of the reds, to last for five to 10 years.

Crafting Contemporary Classics
South African wines so often tread the line between the old world and the new and for Zonnebloem’s range of award winning wines, this balance between classic and contemporary is ever present. Zonnebloem is a brand that stands for craftsmanship in all its forms. After all craft is at the heart of the winemaking process, from the farms that produce our grapes who use the earth as their canvas to create the fruit which lends our wines their rich, distinctive character; to the winemakers who use the skills they have learned and developed over decades to create the rich varietals and blends that make up the Zonnebloem staple. Our commitment to craft doesn’t end with the bottled product, Zonnebloem invests in craftsmen and artisans to ensure that every bottle is presented, and enjoyed, in a way that speaks to the craft that went into its creation.

A CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE
Zonnebloem has a storied history going back to the establishment of the original estate in 1692, but the true story of Zonnebloem Wines starts in 1856 when the original estate was divided between the sons of Petrus Malherbe. One of his sons named his portion Zonnebloem. The farm was later purchased by the Furter family and in 1940 Frederik Furter’s granddaughter Marie took over winemaking at the estate and met with almost instant success winning three trophies at the prestigious Cape Wine Show. She went on to repeat this feat a further three times. It is stories like this that inspire us, and it is why we strive to seek out and recognise excellence in craftsmanship wherever we may find it, because what is excellent today, would have been excellent in the past and will still be considered excellent tomorrow.