Aspect Merlot

This Merlot pairs well with leaner cuts of meat such as roast beef, pork tenderloin, and filet mignon with grilled asparagus. It also complements red sauces and Italian dishes like lasagne, baked ziti, or a veggie pizza topped with mushrooms and green peppers.

The Merlot vineyard is situated high up on the steep shale slopes of Remhoogte, positioned on a cool southerly facing slope—considered the ideal aspect for Merlot in Stellenbosch. The vines are planted on a band of Malmesbury shale, the oldest soil type in South Africa, which limits vine vigor and enhances grape quality. The vineyard yields between 5 and 6 tons per hectare and was planted in 1998.

The wine is matured for 24 months in 225-litre French oak barriques, with 30% new oak and the remainder in second and third-fill barrels.

The Merlot vineyard is situated high up on the steep shale slopes of Remhoogte, positioned on a cool southerly facing slope—considered the ideal aspect for Merlot in Stellenbosch. The vines are planted on a band of Malmesbury shale, the oldest soil type in South Africa, which limits vine vigor and enhances grape quality. The vineyard yields between 5 and 6 tons per hectare and was planted in 1998.

“We would like people who drink our wines to experience the estate our soils our slopes our vines and our terroir. Wine should be experienced and not merely drunk and we endeavour to make every bottle of our wine a memorable experience. We believe wine is made in the vineyards and our goal is to allow the vineyards to express themselves by interfering as little as possible. As a result we have adopted a minimalist approach in both the vineyards and the cellar. The idea being to minimalise the human influence on the final product. In the vineyards we do everything by hand from pruning to harvesting. We are also proud members of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative and of the Integrated Production of Wine Scheme. We have set aside 30% of the estate and dedicated it to the Western Capes indigenous flora and fauna. The goal in the cellar is to facilitate the production of wine from grapes and not merely manufacture wine. This is again done by following the minimalist approach of nothing added apart from a small amount of SO2 prior to bottling. All grapes are hand sorted in the cellar to remove m.o.g. (material other than grapes) and unripe grapes before they go to tank. Wild or naturally occurring yeasts are allowed to ferment the grapes before the wine is drained off the skins and allowed to mature in French oak barrels before being racked and bottled.