Lanzerac Merlot 2002

The 2002 Merlot has a deep and dark red colour. On the nose the wine shows the typical varietal flavours of blackberry, plum, chocolate and fresh cream. A slight hint of vanilla from the wood also shows on the nose. On the taste, the wine is well balanced with a good tannin structure and the fruit-flavours give a lingering aftertaste followed by a slight oakiness.

Foie gras, duck & tongue.

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variety : Merlot [ 100% Merlot ]

winery : Lanzerac

winemaker : Wynand Hamman

wine of origin : Stellenbosch

analysis : alc : 13.5 % vol rs : 2.1 g/l pH : 3.49 ta : 5.9 g/l

type : Red style : Dry body : Full wooded

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

in the vineyard : Vineyard blocks: Three different vineyard blocks.
Area: 6.2 ha in total
Crop size: 54.8 tons
Yield: 8.8 tons / ha
Altitude: 165 m â€“ 320 m
Age of vines: 6 & 8 years.
Rootstock: Richter 99 and 101/14
Clones: MO 36 A & MO192B
Soil: Deep stony sand & deep red rocky.
Plant direction: North / South.
Trellising: 5-wire Perold system. Sufficient to accommodate the vigour of the vines and to ensure good distribution of shoots, leaves and bunches.
Density: 3 500 vines per ha on average.
Space between rows: 2.4m & 1.8m.
Space between vines: 1m & 1.2m.
Irrigation: Micro spitters controlled by computer system through moisture meters and tensiometers. This enables stress management of the vines to produce optimum fruit quality. This is done in accordance with the water retention ability of the specific vineyard block.
Canopy management: Optimal balance between vigour and crop load is achieved by pruning through the correct number of bearer eyes (2). Summer manipulation in the form of suckering, shoot thinning and positioning complement the winter pruning.

about the harvest: All harvesting is done by hand. Extreme care is taken not to damage grapes and only healthy grapes are picked. Grapes are picked when fully ripe.

in the cellar : The grapes were destemmed, crushed and pumped to a combi-tank where fermentation took place on the skins to extract flavour and colour. The juice was pumped over the skins three times per day for one hour at a time to cool the cap as well as extract colour and flavours. After fermentation was finished, the wine was left on the skins for a further 10 days. The wine was drained off the skins and the skins were put in a pneumatic press and pressed dry. The wine was kept in stainless steel tanks for one month where it underwent malolactic fermentation.
After malolactic fermentation the wine was sulphured and left to settle before it was pumped to one third new, one third 2nd fill and one third 3rd fill 300l French oak barrels where it underwent wood-maturation for 18 months prior to bottling.

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