La Motte Millennium 2009

A dusty, earthy nose with raspberry and mulberry fruit, cinnamon spice and a hint of mint, promising a complex wine. The first touch on the palate is velvety and juicy. The mid-palate is firm, but medium-bodied and the finish mineral-dry and lingering. A very elegant wine, with finesse, that will develop depth and complexity with age.

Ideal with any sumptuous meal. Best served with red meats, game, roasts and noble, matured cheese.

variety : Cabernet Franc [ 44% Cabernet Franc, 26% Merlot, 13% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon ]
winery : La Motte
winemaker : Edmund Terblanche
wine of origin : Walker Bay and Sbosch
analysis : alc : 13.65 % vol  rs : 2.0 g/l  pH : 3.56  ta : 5.9 g/l  
type : Red  style : Dry  body : Full   wooded
pack : Bottle  closure : Cork  

in the vineyard : Origin
Grapes for this wine originate from Bot River in the Walker Bay region.

Vintage
A number of conditions caused lower yields - a long winter that affected fl owering, very little rain during December and January, which resulted in smaller bunches, a short heatwave early in December, causing damage to some unprotected bunches, and windy conditions that could have robbed vines from moisture. Temperatures lower than average delayed harvest-time by as much as two weeks. On the positive side, low temperatures and mild weather conditions allowed for good flavour protection and slow ripening - ripening was at lower sugar levels, contributing towards the production of elegant, accessible wines.

Viticulture
On average, the vineyards are 11 years old and the different blocks are planted closely to one another in mainly shallow shale soil with a medium potential. All the vineyards are trellised according to the Perold system and receive drip irrigation. Vineyards are managed organically. Yield was limited by the non-application of fertilizers and the removal of uneven bunches.

in the cellar : Viniculture
Grapes for the wine consist of 44% Cabernet Franc, 26% Merlot, 13% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. All the grapes were handsorted before and after de-stalking. The de-stalked berries were cool-soaked for two to three days, before inoculation with selected yeasts. Fermentation was at between 25° to 30° C After fermentation the wine was left on the lees for a further 20 days in order to enhance extraction and body. Malolactic fermentation was partly in the barrels.

Maturation
The different components were matured separately for 15 months in 225-litre French oak – 50% new barrels and 50% older barrels. Wood for the barrels originate from different forests in France. Maturation was followed by blending. Only 8 000 cartons (6 x 750ml) were bottled on La Motte on 3 November 2010 to be released as 2009 La Motte Millennium.

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OTHER VINTAGES

Merlot
Merlot
Cabernet Franc
Merlot
Merlot
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon