Merlot

Ideal with lamb and other red meat dishes as well as a baked pasta.

A late, but above average rainfall winter and spring ensured the soil profile was saturated contributing to a good growing season. Intermittent rain meant fungal disease pressure was quite high and we had to be on our toes with the spray programme. There were enough cold units for good even budbreak. A relatively cool growing season and ripening period meant ripening was slow and steady leading to one of the most exceptional vintages we’ve experienced. Good acidity and pHs. Harvest date: 17/2/21 to 18/3/21 @ 21.0 – 23.1° Balling.

Time in barrel 19 months, which included several rackings to gradually clarify the wine and assist maturation. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered by hand on the property.

Handpicking into 20 kg lugboxes. Destemming and gentle crushing directly into small 2 ton open top fermentation tanks. Spontaneous natural yeast fermentation @ max. 27°C with the cap of skins punched down manually 1-3 times a day for 12 to 18 days. Wine drained directly to barrels together with single pressing from traditional basket press. Malolactic fermentation in the barrel. 30% new French oak.

A small family winery at the end of the Upper Blaauwklippen Road in the mountains above Stellenbosch South Africa. Established in 1992 by architect David Trafford & artist wife Rita with the focus on high end red wines of great intensity & longevity using minimal intervention production methods.