The Journal Merlot

Please note: Award stickers are applied at the producer's discretion and may not be present on all bottles.

The grapes were harvested at optimum ripeness and fermented in for 5-7 days at 24ºC-28ºC. pump overs done every 4 hours, fermented dry on skins. The extended skin maceration after fermentation MLF completed spontaneously in tanks before the wine was racked into 225L French Oak Barrels.

The vines are rooted in deep red Hutton soils on north-facing slopes, catching the southerly breezes of summer and the frontal winds that punish the Cape from the north in winter. Cool growing conditions on exposed aspects, as well as the practise of dryland farming, sees the fruit develop slowly, drawing maximum variety expression on the vine. The result is tight bunches of small berries, ideal for making wines of structure, elegance and refinement.

The wine matured for 20 months in first fill 225l French oak barrels.