Merlot

Springbok Pie.

Due to a prolonged drought that was possibly the worst in a century’s worth of records, the harvest season of 2018 was especially challenging. The dry weather that persisted throughout the season had some positive effects, namely that the vines were in better health and there were either fewer or no instances of pests and diseases recorded. Because of the stress caused by a lack of water, the berries were significantly smaller than usual, which led to a reduced harvest. Smaller berries offer higher colour and flavour intensity, and the 2018 vintage is expected to be of high quality due to the milder temperatures during harvest.

The wines were matured in 50% new French wood for 24 months before being bottled unfiltered and bottle-aged for an additional three years. The grapes come primarily from our Franschhoek vineyards, with a small percentage coming from our Groenekloof vineyards.

Grapes are hand-picked, placed in small lug boxes, and transported to the cellar in a refrigerated truck. The whole berries are double-sorted in the cellar using optical sorting before being gravity-fed into wood fermenters. Each batch is cold-soaked for a few days and then gradually brought up to temperature, where fermentation occurs naturally. After fermentation, the skins can be macerated for 5 days.

Anthonij Rupert Wyne is a Franschhoek-based producer with a portfolio that spans some of South Africa's most recognised wine brands, including L'Ormarins and Cape of Good Hope. The range showcases a variety of regions, styles and vineyard sites, from everyday favourites to collector-worthy releases.