Elgin Vintners Merlot 2011

Compare this wine to a 21st Century modern woman – she presents with charm, guile, a captivating softness but underneath there is a strength of character that will intrigue you and keep you wanting to explore her further.

Deep, bright violet in colour with wafts of red fruits, mulberries, wild brambles and a touch of cedar spice on the nose. Soft sweet entry, medium bodied, and slightly savoury on the palate with hints of bacon.  The refined palate is beautifully balanced with gentle tannins and subtle mineral notes. The true glory of Elgin is expressed in this elegant Merlot. An expression of its vintage.


variety : Merlot [ 90.9% Merlot, 9.1% Malbec ]
winery : Elgin Vintners
winemaker : Martin Meinert
wine of origin : Elgin
analysis : alc : 13.9 % vol  rs : 3.6 g/l  pH : 3.47  ta : 5.5 g/l  
type : Red  style : Dry   wooded
pack : Bottle  size : 750ml  closure : Cork  

ageing : This 2011 Elgin Vintners Merlot is probably a vintage to drink within 5 to 6 years rather than keep for 10.

The 2011 Elgin Vintners Merlot is our seventh vintage. It is a composition of 90.9% Merlot and 9.1% Malbec, for a bit of added character.

in the vineyard : 50% of the Merlot grapes were harvested from a single vineyard planted at 400 m above sea level on Eikenhof Farm. The balance was selected from the Merlot vineyards on Blauwkrans Farm.

The Malbec (Clone Mc1) was sourced from Wallovale Vineyards.

about the harvest: The bulk of the Merlot grapes were harvested from a single vineyard planted at 400m above sea level on Eikenhof Farm.

Eikenhof Merlot harvested on 14th March 2011
Blauwkrans Merlot harvested on 22nd March 2011
Wallovale Malbec harvested on 15th March 2011

in the cellar : The Merlot grapes were vinified in the traditional manner. The grapes received a cold soak of 5 days at 8° C. The WE372 yeast strain was selected to facilitate fermentation. There was no extended maceration after fermentation. Malolactic fermentation was completed in tank. The wine was then transferred to 225 lit French oak barriques in June and August 2010 where it matured for approximately 26 months. After blending with the Malbec, the wine was polished with a light egg white fining prior to bottling. The only new wood component was from a small percentage of new French oak used on the Malbec.

Bottling date: 12th June 2014
4778 litres / 1061 cases (6 x 750ml) produced.

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