Kanu Merlot 2002

Name: Kanu Merlot 2002
Brand: Kanu
SKU: 9402

Ruby with a cerise rim. A highly complex nose of cherries and dark chocolate, with organic undertones. It is a big, rich, meaty wine, offering organic and earthy flavours, complemented by a firm tannin structure.

Serve at 19°C. Ideal with ox-tail; pork rib on the fire; venison casserole; barbequed butter flied leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic; oven baked duck with a cherry sauce; and rare ostrich filet.

variety : Merlot [ 100% Merlot ]

winery : Kanu Wines

winemaker : Richard Kershaw

wine of origin : Coastal

analysis : alc : 13.98 % vol rs : 2.8 g/l pH : 3.05 ta : 6.1 g/l so2 : 114 mg/l fso2 : 52 mg/l

type : Red style : Dry taste : Fragrant

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

AWARDS

98 Vintage: **** John Platter; chosen as one of the top ten wines out of 200 entered in the Air France / Preteux Borgeois "Classic Wine Trophy 1999" (red wine category).
99 Vintage: Double Gold medal at the Veritas 2001.
2000 Vintage: 88 / 100 in the USA Wine Spectator - April 2003 issue
2001 Vintage: Silver medal at the Veritas 2003; **** John Platter.

ageing : Drinking well now but will gain in intricacy for three to five years.

in the vineyard : Area: Koelenhof
Soil Type: Decomposed Malmesbury Shale
Age of vines: 11 years
Trellising: Bush vines
Vine Density: ± 3.333 vines / ha
Yield: 8 tonnes per hectare
Irrigation: Some

about the harvest: Picking date: March 2002
Grape Sugar: 24.4°B at harvest
Acidity: 7.1 at harvest
pH at harvest: 3.37
Total production: 1 190 x 12 cases

in the cellar : After being lightly crushed and then macerated for a day (to enhance the extraction of colour and fruit) the grapes were inoculated and then fermented on the skins in open stainless steel tanks at 33°C. During this time the juice was pumped over several times a day in order for the juice to remain in constant contact with the skins, ensuring full colour and extract. The wine was lightly pressed and placed in French oak barriques, where it underwent malolactic fermentation. It was racked three times, in the traditional French free flow method, before undergoing further 15 months barrel maturation, further preserving its fruit character and negating the need for heavy filtration before bottling.

Fermentation temperature: approximately 32° C
Wood ageing: Total of 18 months: 20% in new and 80% in 2nd and 3rd fill French Oak Barrels

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