A supple and juicy Merlot sourced from long established Western Cape vineyards.
Production
Merlot grapes are sourced from long standing vineyards on the Swartland/Wellington borders and also the Breede River Valley. Low rainfall, warm weather, mainly decomposed granite soils and low trellised vines all adds really interesting complexity to the final wine. Grapes are picked in mid-March, destemmed and placed in open top fermenters. Pigeage is carried out four times daily (whilst up to half of the sugar is fermented), then only twice daily to the end of fermentation - this is a soft delicate way of wetting the cap and aerating the wine. Malolactic fermentation follows before the wine is left on its lees to extract extra depth and soft tannins. A touch of elegance is achieved by using a modest amount (10%) of oak.
Cape Heights Merlot, Western Cape 2023 (6 bottles case)
Vivino ratings
Tasting notes
A bright and juicy Merlot with an attractively ripe, creamy nose. A rounded spicy palate with generous plum and hedgerow fruit flavours leading to a fresh, gently leafy finish.
Food match
Grilled lamb, pasta with a tomato-based sauce, chorizo and butterbean stew, spicy sausages and mash.
Info
-
ABV
14%
-
CASE/BOTTLE SIZE
6 x 75cl
-
REGION/COUNTRY
WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA
-
GRAPE
MERLOT 100%
-
FEATURES
VEGETARIAN, VEGAN
-
CLOSURE
SCREWCAP
-
WINEMAKER
RYNO BOOYSEN & JD ROSSOUW
-
ALLERGEN INFO
CONTAINS SULPHITES AND NO OTHER ALLERGENS
-
Meet the producer
Boutinot South Africa is driven by our passion for discovery and desire to capture the real essence of South Africa in every bottle. It was the simple love of Loire Chenin Blanc that first led us to South Africa in 1994, where we pioneered the wild ferment style that has now been adopted by many producers in this region.
Since then we have been exploring the country's amazing vineyards to make fabulous wines from specific sites and plots that scream location, location, terroir.. Our home-grown South African winemaking team of JD Rossouw, Ryno Booysen and Pierre Louw drive the energy and enthuasiam for expressing the loveliest wines from their country, along with Samantha Bailey's expertise in finesse. The key is knowing the characteristics of each plot, understanding the benefits each cultivar can bring, breaking rules and pushing boundaries. We use a combination of knowledge, a love of nature and science to create versatile, expressive and food-friendly wines from a country that has been making wine for 360 years.