LONGRIDGE MERLOT 2007

Stellenbosch

Annual Rainfall: 570mm
Proximity to ocean: 6 - 10km

Hutton and Malmesbury shales

Extensive summer suckering and leaf plucking (on the Eastern, early morning sun side) of phenolic "green" characters. Trellised vines on the slopes of the Helderberg and a vineyard at the foot of Somerset West have made it into this wine with the one lending more structure and the other mineral finesse. Grapes were harvested towards the end of February 2007.

Clinton Le Sueur

Meticulous sorting before and after destemming before going into the tank to cool, soak and begin natural fermentation. The juice was fermented at a cool 22°C and left on its skin for two weeks. Malolactic fermentation and into 72% new French oak barrels for 16 months to mature. The wine needed no fining but a light filtration before going into bottle.

Alc: 13.85%
TA: 5.6 g/l
RS: 2.7 g/l
pH: 3.48

Following through from the nose onto the palate is dominant blackberry and blueberry fruits; coupled with fine grained tannins that walk one through the mid palate and into a hypnotic finish that leaves one reaching for the next sip to fathom what it may reveal.

Starts to come into its own 3 years after harvest and will mature well for a further 3 years.

Cote d'beouf, roast woow pigeon with white truffle oil, escalope of calf's liver on an onion, marmalade, magret of duck with black olives, rump steak bordelaise.