Rust en Vrede Estate Merlot 2004

Colour:Bright cherry red.
Bouquet:Mulberries, ripe plums, white chocolate and macadamia nuts, notes of cinnamon with a pervasive aroma of rose petals balanced with subtle oak flavours.
Palate: Bouquet carries through to the palate. Elegant, well balanced with an underlying refreshing herbaceous quality. Good sweet/sour balance. This wine will complement a variety of seafood and lighter meat dishes.


variety : Merlot [ 100% Merlot ]
winemaker : Louis Strydom
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 13,67 % vol  rs : 5,1 g/l  pH : 3,45  ta : 7,1 g/l  
type : Red  style : Dry  body : Full  taste : Herbaceous   wooded

AWARDS
Double Gold Veritas Awards

ageing : Enjoy this great food wine now through to 2010.

in the vineyard : Background:
Specialising in the production of red wine only, Rust en Vrede has established itself as one of South Africa s premium red wine estates. Full-bodied and complex, Rust en Vredes wines reflect the uniqueness of Stellenbosch terroir. Rust en Vrede is a remarkable three hundred years old wine tradition synonymous with wines produced by Stellenboschs private estates.

Climate:
Mediterranean rainfall 650mm per annum. Vineyards situated on north facing slopes and at the end of the valley - hence slightly warmer conditions that ensure a ripe fruity Merlot.

Soil:
Deep red soils. A mixture of weathered granite and small percentage of clay, Clovelly and Hutton structure. No irrigation on most vineyards resulted in a fine and natural feed of water to the vines. The soils show excellent water retention and the vines well developed root system look after the rest.

about the harvest: The grapes were harvested in February 2004.

in the cellar : WE 372 yeast was used with the fermentation temperature about 26C. Fermentation on the skins took place over a period of 16-days. Malolactic fermentation followed in stainless steel tanks and was completed in barrels. The wine was left to mature for 15 months in 2nd and 3rd fill Frence oak barriques, after which it received a light filtration prior to bottling.

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Merlot
Merlot
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Merlot
Merlot
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Merlot
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