Colour: Deep ruby.
Bouquet: An abundance of ripe fruit with traces of tobacco in the background.
Taste: A rich velvety entry with flavours of prune and cherry fruit, integrated with oak flavours.
The winemaker recommends enjoying this wine on its own or with red meats, seafood, poultry, game, and pasta dishes.
variety : Merlot [ 68% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon ]
winemaker : Sakkie Kotzé
wine of origin : Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 13.34 % vol rs : 3.0 g/l pH : 3.51 ta : 5.5 g/l
type : Red style : Dry taste : Herbaceous wooded
pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork
in the vineyard :
Le Bonheur has an enviable terroir. The 163 hectare farm has 75ha planted to vineyards. Most of the vineyards face north, while a few face east and south-east. They are situated at altitudes ranging from 200m to 400m above sea level, and each has its own, unique soil characteristics. The main soil types are Hutton, Tukulu Glenrosa, Klapmuts and Kroonstad.
The following cultivars are planted on the estate: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Cabernet Franc, Pinot noir, Shiraz and Petit Verdot.
The dryland east-facing Merlot vines were planted in 1987 and the Cabernet Sauvignon vines, also facing east and unirrigated, in 1986.
in the cellar : Each vineyard block was individually vinified. Once the grapes were crushed, the mash was cooled and fermentation took place over 8 days at 28°C. The Merlot was left on the skins after fermentation for up to 14 days and the Cabernet Sauvignon for between 21 and 30 days to soften the wine and give it character. Upon completion of malolactic fermentation the wine was matured in 300-litre barrels for 18 months, using a combination of 65% new and 35% second-fill French (90%) and American (10%) oak.