Why wouldn’t you want a plush fruited, smooth, very versatile and consistent red wine? Well, our sentiments exactly, so keeping this in mind, Merlot fits the bill to a T and in the Karoo climes it offers us the opportunity to craft a buxom, fruit forward, smooth dry red wine – which with a few years cellaring gets even better.
Fruit for this wine originates from a selection of Merlot blocks ranging in age from a youthful 5 to spirited 15 years or older. The grapes are hand-harvested in the cool of the morning, crushed & fermented in open top cement fermenters (lagars) with manual pigeage to coax optimum flavours and colour from the fruit; matured using oak alternatives, as well as a portion matured in old French oak barrels, and lightly filtered at bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This fruit forward, medium bodied Merlot treats the taster with ripe plum, bright red cherry, hints of bramble jam, subtle spice, vanilla and an undercurrent of fynbos – while the soft tannins and mild acidity make for an appealing glass of honest red wine.
Serving Suggestions:
A perfect partner to hearty country cuisine – winter vegetable soup, springbok pie with puff pastry, bobotie or a beef casserole; fine mature cheese and charcuterie or simply enjoyed around the braai with friend and family or on a Tuesday evening in front of the telly with spaghetti bolognaise.
In warmer climes this wine can be enjoyed lightly chilled.
