Marianne Desirade 2013

A striking crimson red in colour, this wine is bold with intense aromas of blackberries and liquorice. Cape Terroir shines through through aromas of Fynbos - the Cape’s endemic flora. Black fruit on the palate, restraint, elegance.

This wine is perfectly suited for a range of flavourful meats. We recommend Desirade with duck or a rich beef stew.

variety : Merlot [ 75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon ]

winery : Marianne Wine Estate

winemaker : François Haasbroek

wine of origin : Simonsberg-Paarl

analysis : alc : 14 % vol rs : 2.4 g/l pH : 3.95 ta : 5.5 g/l

type : Red body : Full wooded

pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork

ageing : This wine shows finesse and will benefit from bottle-ageing.

Our Property: Est. 2004, the Marianne Estate is a 36-hectare boutique wine estate located on the foothills of the Simonsberg Mountain. The estate features 25 hectares of vineyards, Tasting Room & Cellars, Luxury Accommodation and the Floreal Brasserie.

A Tradition of Winemaking: Christian Dauriac, the proprietor of the Marianne Estate, has been making wine in Bordeaux for over 30 years. He currently owns three Chateaux in Bordeaux: Destieux (Grand Cru Classe of Saint-Emilion), Montlisse (Grand Cru) and La Clemence (Pomerol). Christian regularly brings in specialists from France to lend expertise with the winemaking and viticulture.

Terroir: Climate, soil, altitude and slope orientation are essential elements required in capturing as much varietal character as possible. The climate is mild to warm with southern winds, ensuring grapes are cooled to optimum temperature for maximum character and flavour. Soils are predominantly medium textured and an average annual rainfall of 800 mm ensures minimal irrigation.

about the harvest: The grape varietals were handpicked separately at phenolic ripeness and stored at 10 °C to ensure the finest flavour and freshness.

in the cellar : Subsequent processing, fermentation and maturation was carried out separately for each varietal. Upon crushing , a temperature of 10 °C was maintained and both skins and juice were left in contact in French oak tanks for 10 days for optimum colour and tannin extraction. Upon fermentation, colour and character is allowed to develop for a further period of 3 weeks before the wine is transferred to 40% new French oak barrels for 16-22 months. The use of new French oak allows the wine to retain certain flavours and extract tannin from the oak. By using only 40% new oak, the fruits within each varietal are respected and allowed to combine in perfect harmony ensuring truly magnificent flavour and character. Much care and attention is taken in selecting barrels containing maximum flavour and character for use in the final Bordeaux blend.

Head Winemaker: François Haasbroek

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