Neethlingshof Merlot 1999

Colour: Garnet with a crimson rim. Full density.
Bouquet: Delicate nose, with mint, sweet plum, black cherry and nougat aromas, backed by vanilla-oak and cinnamon-spice. The wood is there, but it is very much in the background.
Taste: Sweet, supple entry. Elegant and easy to drink, but well-structured with ripe and soft tannins. The cassis-flavoured fruit on the mid-palate is open and rounded. Some smooth coffee-and-cream richness, followed by a rolling finish.

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variety : Merlot [ Merlot ]

winery : Neethlingshof Wine Estate

winemaker :

wine of origin : Coastal

analysis : alc : 15.0 % vol rs : 3.2 g/l pH : 3.27 ta : 6.6 g/l va : 0.62 g/l so2 : 93 mg/l fso2 : 40 mg/l

wooded

pack : Bottle

ageing : This Merlot is ready to drink now, or keep for another five to six years.

AS A PARTNER TO FOOD
A very versatile wine that can be served with most meats, including cold roast beef, garlicky roast lamb, spicy ribs or stuffed turkey. Will also partner less assertive meat dishes like veal piccata, liver, lamb stew or shepherdâ€™s pie. Also try with pastas and pizzas and robust fish dishes.

The Merlot 99 is a perfect partner for the Christmas turkey, for stuffed chicken, quail and roast duck. Care should just be taken not to use too much rosemary and garlick in the accompanying dishes, or very dominant herbs and spices which will, in turn, dominate the wine. Also, avoid sauces which have been thickened with flour, or enriched with cream. Instead, use a glass of this Merlot to enrich any sauce.

Side dishes prepared from potatoes, red cabbage, Chinese cabbage, carrots, peas and big, black mushrooms are very happy with a glass of Merlot 99 on the side. And finally: a red wine to serve with two of the most difficult foods: Camembert and Brie.

The Merlot is delightful to sip on its own. Serve at 16 - 18 degrees Celsius.

in the vineyard : The estateâ€™s merlot vineyards, situated at 220 metres above sea level and facing south-east, were planted in 1985 in Tukulu soil. The vines are grafted onto nematode-resistant Richter 99 rootstocks and trellised on a five-wire vertical â€œfenceâ€ system. The yield was kept low which enhanced the quality of the merlot fruit.

about the harvest: The grapes were harvested by hand and by machine on 15 March 1999 after reaching a Balling of 26 degrees.

in the cellar : Fermentation which lasted eight days, took place in stainless-steel rotation tanks, using the Vin 13 yeast strain. The wine spent three months on its lees. After malolactic fermentation, 30% was matured for 24 months in small French oak and the rest in second- and third-fill barrels for an equal length of time.

During the assemblage in April 2001, it has been decided to add 15% cabernet franc of the same vintage to the merlot to add further interest. A light filtering followed, and the wine was ready to be bottled in February 2002.

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