La Motte Millennium 2018

The nose of this wine tells the story of how the wine 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 befriends 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 [ 44% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot, 10% Malbec ]

winery : La Motte

winemaker : Edmund Terblanche

wine of origin : Western Cape

analysis : alc : 13.89 % vol rs : 3.4 g/l pH : 3.47 ta : 5.8 g/l

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

pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork

in the vineyard : Grapes for the wine originate from vineyards in the Walker Bay, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch areas.

The dry conditions during the preceding two seasons continued and caused the harvest to be 15% smaller than that of 2017. It was, therefore, one of the smallest harvests in 15 years. The preceding winter was cold enough, but started late. This delayed budding and, eventually, harvesting started approximately two weeks later than in 2017. Dry and windy conditions once again allowed the grapes to stay healthy, while cool conditions promoted flavour retention. In some areas damage was caused by frost.

about the harvest: Grapes for the wine consist of Merlot (44%), Cabernet Franc (37%), Petit Verdot (9%) and Malbec (10%). Before and after de-stalking, all the grapes were hand-sorted.

in the cellar : Grapes for the wine consist of Merlot (44%), Cabernet Franc (37%), Petit Verdot (9%) and Malbec (10%). 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.

Maturation: The different components were matured separately for 12 months in old 300-litre French oak barrels. Then blending and filtration followed. In September 2019 the wine was bottled (390 000 x 750 ml) to be released as 2018 La Motte Millennium

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