Kweekskool Merlot

Beef tagliata, arugula and Trevisana salad.

Ideal winter conditions provided substantial rainfall to supplement water reserves, with good cold units throughout the winter months of 2021. Budbreak was slightly later than usual due to the cold winter. Rainfall in the spring was also good for our vineyards during the critical times of flowering and crop set. A warm January in 2022 with a few heat waves was good for ripening, especially the red varieties. Relatively dry summer months allowed for grapes to reach full phenolic ripeness, with a long hangtime for flavour development.

Malolactic fermentation took place in barrel, after which the wine matured in seasoned French oak for 12 months. Individual parcels of Merlot are vinified separately and blended before bottling.

Fermentation completed in open top stainless steel fermentation tanks. During fermentation punch-downs and pump overs were performed four times daily to ensure balanced extraction of colour and flavour. After fermentation a further 14 days of maceration on the skins was allowed.

Jean Engelbrecht along with his friends Dillie Malherbe and Jannie Durand set out to create a wine that would not only embody all that is Stellenbosch but that would also pay homage to this great town at the heart of the Cape winelands. Each wine in this range pays tribute to an historical landmark in Stellenbosch.