La Motte Millennium 2015

The nose of this wine tells the story of how it was made. Raspberry (Merlot), a slight herbaciousnous (Cabernet Franc) and English toffee (oak) combine in a harmonious way. Malbec and Petit Verdot provide colour and spice. Very perfumy and aromatic, with beetroot earthiness and leafy undergrowth. Juicy concentrated blueberry fruit on palate with fresh acidity and toffee sweetness. Spicy cinnamon finish.

This South African interpretation of the famous Bordeaux-style red blend is excellent at countering fat – creamy, buttery or otherwise fat-laden dishes such as duck liver are excellent partners. Its accommodating structure allows for mild curries such as the traditional Cape bobotie and it is a stalwart with creamy sauces and mushrooms. Also responds very well to red meats, game, roasts and noble, matured cheese.

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variety : Merlot [ 56% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, 6% Malbec ]

winery : La Motte

winemaker : Edmund Terblanche

wine of origin : Western Cape

analysis : alc : 13.89 % vol rs : 2.3 g/l pH : 3.41 ta : 5.6 g/l

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

pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork

in the vineyard :

ORIGIN
Grapes for this wine originate from the Walker Bay, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch areas.

VINTAGE
The preceding winter was wet and cold enough to ensure good and even budding. A hot August caused fast budding and an earlier season. The rest of the season was dry, windy and diseasefree, with no heat-waves – very positive factors. Due to climatic conditions, the harvest, that was large, lost moisture, enhancing concentration and eventually ensuring excellent quality. Analyses and flavours are promising.

VITICULTURE
Each vineyard grows in its own macro climate in a wide variety of soil types. Several clones are represented. All the vineyards are trellised according to the Perold system and managed to maintain a perfect balance between leaf coverage and yield. Thanks to the different terroirs, each region produces its own distinctive grapes, so grapes from each region make a unique contribution to flavour and structure.

about the harvest: Grapes for the wine consist of Merlot (56%), Cabernet Franc (28%), Petit Verdot (10%) and Malbec (6%).

in the cellar : Before and after de-stalking, all the grapes were hand-sorted. The de-stalked berries were inoculated with yeast immediately. Fermentation was at between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius while the wine was pumped over. After fermentation the wine was left on the lees for a further 20 days in order to enhance extraction and body. Malolactic fermentation was partly in barrels.

The different components were matured separately for 14 months in old 225-litre French oak barrels. Then blending and filtration followed. In September 2016, 45 000 cartons (6 x 750 ml) were bottled.

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