Tasting Notes
Deep ruby red. Typical Merlot notes of ripe black plum, dark cherry, dried herbs underpinned by mocha and oak spice. The palate is generous, while still delicate on the finish, showing complex cherry tobacco flavours coupled with a fine acidity. This wine shows the balance, intensity and fruit purity of the 2021 vintage and as with all Merlot’s from the estate, will age gracefully and will gain in complexity and suppleness of tannin for many years to come.
Ageing Potential
10 - 15 years, provided the wine is stored in ideal cellar conditions.
In The Vineyard
Compagniesdrift - The soils from this warm north facing slope are predominantly formed from weathered granite. The wines originating from this granitic hilltop are expressive and bold in structure, mainly due to the coarse gravelly texture and sufficient soil depth to promote long and even ripening.
The Quarry - The extremely rocky terrain consisting of greywacke with interbedded shales provides a unique substrate for vines. Shallow rooted vines on this cool and windswept foot slope leads to wines with characteristic red fruit with exceptional length, detail, and precision.
About The Harvest
The 2020 post-harvest period was characterised by very hot and dry conditions, which led to early leaf fall, especially in early ripening cultivars.
The winter rainfall started late, but regular cold fronts contributed almost 100 mm more precipitation than in the previous season. Soil profiles were well saturated and farm dams returned to pre-drought levels. The budding period was particularly cool and wet, and low soil temperatures delayed bud break by up to 14 days.
Despite sustained cool conditions, the flowering and fruit set periods were moderate and ideal. Véraison followed the seasonal trend and was generally up to 14 days later than the previous season. Ripening was consistently about 10-14 days later than the previous year, and the ripening period was very moderate.
This resulted in good hang times, minimal harvesting pressure and allowed for optimum picking. Although yields are lower, the grape composition and preliminary wine quality of the 2021 vintage showed immediate promise. The wines have intensity and freshness coupled with a fine tannin structure.
In The Cellar
This vintage is 100% Merlot. It is made up of a few individual parcels that are all fermented separately before undergoing malolactic fermentation in 300 L barrels. After 6 months in barrel, the final components were selected and blended and put back to barrel for 12 months in 40% new French oak for further maturation before bottling
Additional Information
Our Merlot is a true expression of the variety as grown on the Meerlust estate and draws fruit from two of our four distinctive terroirs. Each terroir provides a unique element to the final blend.
