Kleine Zalze Cellar Selection Merlot 2017

As always our Merlot show the typical characters of ripe red fruit followed by juicy fruit on the palate. With the cooler ripening conditions the wine is a little more elegant than the 2016 but, it still has great structure and will pair well with food too. The fresh and natural acidity ensures a vibrant and lingering finish.

This wine can be enjoyed on its own but will also pair well with meat dishes such as steak or with casseroles.

variety : Merlot [ 100% Merlot ]
winemaker : RJ Botha
wine of origin : Coastal Region
analysis : alc : 14.0 % vol  rs : 3.2 g/l  pH : 3.53  ta : 5.7 g/l  
type : Red  style : Dry  body : Medium  taste : Fruity   wooded
pack : Bottle  size : 750ml  closure : Screwcap  

ageing : This wine can be enjoyed now, however, it will also reward careful cellaring for at least four to six years.

in the vineyard : The grapes for this wine were sourced from selected parcels of fruit from across the Western Cape. In 2017 we had a very dry winter season and warm dry conditions early in the growing season but slightly cooler weather in the run up to harvest. It was for this reason that very careful attention was paid to our viticulture practices to ensure optimum ripening conditions in the canopy and to achieve physiological ripeness. As always, a very careful ‘green harvest’ was carried out just after veraison to ensure even ripening and a good concentration of flavours.

about the harvest: The grapes were picked early in the morning, hand-sorted.

in the cellar : After early morning harvesting the grapes were destemmed only at the winery and fermentation was carried out ‘whole berry’ to ensure a soft, elegant, fruit-forward style of wine. The batches were fermented in stainless-steel tanks and then only free-run juice was transferred to older oak barrels for maturation over approximately 12 months. A small portion was matured in tank to give an element of freshness to the final blend.

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