Provenance Merlot

A food-friendly wine with fresh acidity, soft tannins and bright fruit, which makes it a superb partner to spaghetti bolognese.

The 2021 vintage is considered as a highlight of the decade. With sufficient water, moderate temperatures and healthy, but balanced vigour, it was a vintage that delivered grapes with high natural acidity and concentrated flavours. A selection of the best Merlot vineyards on the northern slopes of L' Avenir Estate. Soil types include Glenrosa, Vilafonte and Oakleaf - known for the production of magnificent Stellenbosch reds, with notable ageing potential.

Upon completion of malolactic fermentation, the wine was matured in steel tanks, as well as 300 litre French barrels for 10 to 14 months, using a combination of new, second and third-fill French oak. The final blend was based on a meticulous barrel selection.

Grapes were harvested by hand at optimal ripeness. Each vineyard was individually vinified. Once the grapes were crushed, the mash was cooled and fermentation took place for 5-10 days at 24 - 26° C.

L’Avenir’s rich history dates back to the late 1600s when the estate was one of the very first sites identified for grape growing by the Cape’s earliest European settlers. The estate was renamed L’Avenir in 1992 by Mark Wiehe a Mauritian businessman who left a career of trading sugar in London to purchase the farm. This was the start of specialisation of this unique boutique winery. Wiehe appointed former pharmacist Francois Naude as winemaker and the estate swiftly gained recognition for its distinctive Pinotage and Chenin Blanc. In 2005 L’Avenir was acquired by the owner of the prestigious Chablis property Laroche Chablisien Michel Laroche.