KanuStellenbosch Merlot 2017 (R88.16 per bottle, 6 bottles)

About

The nose offers hints of sun-ripened, juicy berry fruits and wafts of white chocolate and hints at the complexity to come. Mulberry fruit, gentle herbaceousness and reserved tannins combine effortlessly to form a voluptuous mouthfeel, underpinned by lingering vanillins. Enjoy this wine now, or within the next 3 years.
 

Suggested Food Pairing:

The Merlot pairs beautifully with a succulent butter fried steak, porcini and parmesan risotto, not to mention a Tuscan rolled pork belly.

Viticulture:

Winemaking Practice:

The grapes were sourced and hand-picked from our own farm in the Bottelary region. After gentle destemming and crushing, the grapes were left to macerate on the skins for a short while, and then 35% of the juice was drawn off. This makes for a deeper colour to the wine. The juice was then inoculated with a cultured yeast strain. Regular pump-overs ensured good colour extraction. Halfway through the fermentation process, the grapes were pressed and fermentation was completed in stainless steel tanks. This process ensured good colour, but without any aggressive tannins. The free-run wine and the pressed portion were kept together in tank, inoculated for Malolactic fermentation, together with a careful selection of American oak staves to ensure the desired style. After MLF was completed, sulphur dioxide was added so that the wine is adequately protected against oxidation and spoilage. The wine underwent micro-oxygenation for 90 days, given a light egg-white fining, filtered and finally bottled.

The wine is medium to intense in colour, has a balanced tannin structure, with pleasant berry fruit on the palate.