Major Series Merlot

Herb grilled tenderloin fillets with mushroom Merlot sauce.

The effect of the drought still lingers in the background. We continued our effort in the canopy, managing water use to irrigate as little as possible, focusing on our aim of quality. The 2019 season started surprisingly cool with no heat waves hitting us. One challenge that arose was uneven bud burst – this, we managed selectively during harvesting, followed by berry selection at the cellar. The mild stress of the vines was eased by the cooler temperatures that we experienced, allowing for smaller berries that are always of importance to us. During fruit ripening, the cooler weather persisted. This gave the grapes some fantastic hang time and development, which we usually can’t afford due to the fast sugar accumulation. The Merlot vineyards grow on the warm, north-facing slopes of the Helderberg region within the Stellenbosch appellation. With an altitude of approximately 250 metres above sea level, together with the cooling influence of the Atlantic Ocean, the ripening period can be extended, resulting in wines with phenolic ripeness.

Aged for 14 Months in French Oak

The hand-picked bunches arrive at the winery in the morning. The bunches are sorted, destemmed, after which the berries are sorted again to ensure that only the ripe berries go to the tank. Whole berries are fermented in open top tanks as well as in barrels. Intermittent pump-overs and punch downs ensure a balance between flavour, colour and tannin extraction from the skins. All ferments are meticulously monitored during fermentation to ensure that all the natural aromas and flavours are preserved and highlighted as required. After primary fermentation some batches will be left on the skins for extended maceration as required. The batches are pressed and transferred to a combination of old and new oak for maturation. Each batch of Merlot is maturated separately (micro-vinified) in oak barrels before blending and eventual bottling.

As one of South Africa's leading ambassadors and one of the most recognizable faces in the world of sport it is befitting that Ernie chose Stellenbosch to produce his wines. In 1999 the concept of Ernie Els Wines was born and with the help of award-winning winemaker Louis Strydom they produced the maiden 2000 vintage of Ernie Els - a 'classic' Bordeaux blend. The intention from the outset was to focus on delivering a quality product that could hold its own in the company of the world's finest wines.