De Grendel Merlot 2018

Name: De Grendel Merlot 2018
Brand: De Grendel
SKU: 46136

Bright ruby garnet in colour, enticing aromas of sweet red plum and raspberry fruit on the nose supersede nuances of mocha and cocoa underscored by hints of sweet tobacco leaf, before a sweet red fruit driven entry onto the palate is embraced by unobtrusive, chocolaty tannins which linger with savoury elegance and fruit. An exceptionally elegant, fruit driven wine with balanced tannin and hints of spice.

This elegant, juicy wine will pair excellently with most meats, but especially with succulent roast lamb served with sweet roasted vegetables. It really is difficult to go wrong with a good Merlot. Try it with tomato based pasta or even roast duck.

variety : Merlot [ 100% Merlot ]

winery : De Grendel Wines

winemaker : Charles Hopkins & Elzette du Preez

wine of origin : Durbanville

analysis : alc : 14 % vol rs : 2.6 g/l pH : 3.48 ta : 5.7 g/l

type : Red style : Dry body : Full wooded

pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Screwcap

ageing : This Merlot has the potential to mature for 5-8 years, becoming increasingly silky as the tannins integrate and the red berry driven fruit becomes a touch richer.

The intense dry heat of the summer months certainly kept the viticulturists on their toes as they nursed the vineyards towards ripening. This resulted in a 30% reduction of crop size at De Grendel, however – although volumes were down, the dryness facilitated surprising benefits in that the bunches were perfectly formed and disease free. Our proximity to the cold Atlantic, excellent foliage management, and the Tygerberg itself shielded the grapes from sunburn, which reduced grape quality in other regions. The resilience of the vines astounds, as they have born for us, fine fruit – smaller and more concentrated, promising excellent quality and depth of fruit in the wines.

in the vineyard : Our vineyards at De Grendel are situated 7 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean, at a height of 200 meters above sea level, on the slopes of the Tygerberg. There are 2300 vines between the ages of 12 and 15 years old which yield crops of 5 to 7 tons per hectare.

about the harvest: Grapes were handpicked.

in the cellar : The grapes were destalked, crushed and fermented in a stainless steel tank. The ‘aerated pump-over’ method was used to ensure soft, ripe tannins in the wine by gently pumping the fermenting juice up and over the skin-cap 4 times, for 1 hour periods. After fermentation, the skins were gently pressed at 0.9 bar. The wine was racked three times, the ensure good clarity before ⅓ of it was matured in new French oak, ⅓ in 2nd fill French oak and ⅓ in 3rd fill French oak for a period of 13 months.

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