Cordoba Merlot 1999
This Merlot has an intense ruby colour and is packed with concentrated cherry and plum flavours, complimented by classic oak flavours. The firm tannins and intense fruit flavours linger well on the aftertaste.
variety : Merlot [ Merlot ]
winemaker : Chris Keet
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 13.5 % vol rs : 1.45 g/l pH : 3.5 ta : 6.4 g/l so2 : 104 mg/l fso2 : 24 mg/l
type : Red
in the vineyard : The Merlot grapes come from our high altitude vineyards on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain, where the cooler temperature restrains the natural vigour of the vines. This concentrates the typical varietal flavours in our grapes. Practises such as pruning in Winter and shoot removal in Summer reduce the yields to ensure maximum ripeness, flavour and colour in our grapes. A philosophy of environmentally friendly farming results in the minimal use of fungicides, herbicides and insecticides.
about the harvest: This vintage enjoyed excellent weather conditions during the ripening period. Moderate days were followed by cool nights with adequate rain before the harvest to irrigate our dry-land vineyards. During the harvest the days were warm, sunny and dry, so the grapes were harvested in a very healthy condition.
in the cellar : The healthy berries were very gently crushed. Ten days maceration on the skins was allowed post alcoholic fermentation for maximum extraction, followed by gentle pressing. Thereafter the wine spent 15 months maturing in carefully selected 225 French Oak barrels.