Kleine Zalze Cellar Selection Merlot 2006

Medium bodied, soft tannin wine, with ripe plum and fruitcake aromas on the nose that carry through as flavours on the palate. These fruit flavours are complimented by a crisp, well integrated acidity and a smoky, cigar box finish, affording this wine comfortable 5 year maturation potential.

This Merlot with its ripe plum, soft fruity tannins can be enjoyed with curries, stews and roasted meat dishes. It is a recommended partner for smoked gammon, chicken liver or duck.

variety : Merlot [ Merlot ]
winemaker : Johan Joubert
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 14.0 % vol  rs : 2.7 g/l  pH : 3.58  ta : 5.8 g/l  
type : Red   wooded
pack : Bottle  closure : Cork  

ageing : This wine will comfortably mature for another 5 years.

in the vineyard : These grapes were cultivated and harvested from different blocks on Kleine Zalze. Normally in the late afternoon, a southerly wind blows off the sea and cools the Merlot grapes to ensure optimum ripening conditions. The vineyards were carefully pruned and suckered to ensure that optimum ripened grapes were harvested for the production of the 2006 Merlot Cellar Selection wine.

about the harvest: The grapes were picked early in the morning.

in the cellar : The grapes were destalked and cold soaked at 12°C for 3 days.The juice was fermented dry on the skins, the skins pressed and only 5% of the press juice was blended back into the final blend. Malolactic fermentation then followed with 50% completion in the tank and 50% in 300l French oak barrels. After blending, the wine was matured in third-fill 300l French oak barrels for 12 months.

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