Kleine Zalze Cellar Selection Merlot 2012

Name: Kleine Zalze Cellar Selection Merlot 2012
Brand: Kleine Zalze Cellar Selection
SKU: 35914

A medium-bodied, spicy, elegant wine with ripe plum and red berry fruit aromas on the nose that carry through to the palate. These fruit flavours are complimented by a crisp, well integrated acidity and an elegant velvety finish.

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variety : Merlot [ 100% Merlot ]

winery : Kleine Zalze Wines

winemaker : Johan Joubert

wine of origin : Coastal Region

analysis : alc : 14.0 % vol rs : 3.2 g/l pH : 3.43 ta : 6.3 g/l

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

pack : Bottle closure : Screwcap

ageing : divThis wine has a comfortable maturation potential. This vintage will age up to 7 years in the bottle. /div

in the vineyard :

These grapes were cultivated and harvested from five different blocks on the Kleine Zalze and Groote Zalze farms. Both French and Italian clones were used for the picking of the Cellar Selection Merlot grapes. With careful pruning and suckering, the southerly sea breezes were allowed to cool the grapes to ensure cool optimum ripening conditions.

For optimum ripeness and the colouring of the pips, the efficient amount of leaves and crop were left. The production was lower through green bunch dropping to 6t/ha. The 2012 vintage were 1 week later in ripening in comparison to the previous year and grapes were left to hang longer. This ensured that pure varietal fruit with high notes of spice and elegance developed in the grapes and the terroir identity of cool ripening grapes were censorial visible

about the harvest: The grapes were picked early in the morning, hand-sorted.

in the cellar : The grapes were destalked and cold soaked at 12°C for three days. The juice was cool fermented, pumped over 3 times a day, until dry in stainless steel tanks and left on the skins before pressing. With enough tannin structure, only the free-run juice was used and malolactic fermentation completed in fourth fill French oak barrels. The wine matured for 14 months in 5th fill barrels, where after the different clones was blended and bottled. A good pH/acidity balance was maintained through the vinification process.

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