Durbanville Hills Merlot 2014

Name: Durbanville Hills Merlot 2014
Brand: Durbanville Hills
SKU: 38499

Colour: Dark ruby.
Nose: Driven by ripe plums, finished off with a hint of chocolate mint and sweet oriental spices.
Taste: A medium bodied Merlot accentuated by soft sweet red fruit, rounded off with silky tannins and a lingering finish.

Serve with tuna, salmon, baby chickens stuffed with prunes and ground pork, Mediterranean vegetable ragout on a bed of polenta and a ragout of lamb with black olives and fresh thyme.

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variety : Merlot [ 100% Merlot ]

winery : Durbanville Hills Wine

winemaker : Martin Moore & Wilhelm Coetzee

wine of origin : Durbanville

analysis : alc : 13.99 % vol rs : 2.8 g/l pH : 3.57 ta : 5.9 g/l

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

pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork

Background
Nine leading vineyard owners in the Durbanville district joined forces with Distell to create Durbanville Hills with the aim of promoting the regional individuality of this prime wine-growing area. The striking Durbanville Hills cellar sits on the side of a series of rolling hills with magnificent views of Table Mountain and Table Bay - the very geography that lies at the heart of what makes the wines so unique.

The Durbanville ward is considered one of the Cape’s coolest wine regions, thanks to the sea breezes that drift inland from False Bay and Table Bay and the late afternoon mists that bathe the slopes. These conditions are ideal for the slow ripening of the grapes, allowing them to develop their full-flavoured, intense character. Grapes are sourced only from the shareholder- growers, all of whom farm within the limited appellation of Durbanville. Meticulous canopy management promotes concentration of varietal flavour.

Cellar master Martin Moore uses highly advanced cellar technology to ensure optimal extraction of colour and flavour. Sustainable practices include maintaining the disciplines imposed by International Environmental Standard ISO 140001 such as in the treatment of waste water back to irrigation quality. In all its vineyards the growing practices prescribed by IPW (Integrated Production of Wine) are followed. These are designed to sustain natural resources. In addition, the members protect on their farms 320 ha of endangered Renosterveld as part of the Biodiversity Wine Initiative (BWI).

in the vineyard : The vineyards (Vineyard Consultant: Henk van Graan)
The grapes were selected from vineyards on the valley floor where vines are less prone to water-stress as the soils are generally deeper with better water retention than higher up on the hills. The constant presence of wind ensures that the canopies stay fairly small, a phenomenon that we link to better fruit and structure in the wines. We have learned that overlapping bunches tend to colour poorly and great care was taken to ensure even fruit positioning.

about the harvest: The grapes were hand harvested between 24° and 25° B from middle February to the middle of March and vinified separately.

in the cellar : After 24 hours of cold soaking, the must was fermented on the skins between 26°C and 28°C in closed, specially designed auto fermenters until dry. During this period the maximum fruit, colour and tannin extraction from the skins was made possible through very soft, continuous timer-regulated pump-over cycles. After the wine was separated from the skins controlled malolactic took place in stainless steel tanks. The wine was matured for 12 months using predominantly French oak barrels, utilising a small percentage new oak together with older wood as well as wood alternatives. This is done to prevent over wooding and by doing so preserving the elegance of our cool climate fruit.

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