Oudebrug Merlot 2020 Case
R2184,00
Floral and sweet red berry fruit aromas with soft spice, vanilla and mocha notes. An elegant, richly textured palate showing sumptuous complexity, soft, firm tannins with fruit follow-through, and fresh acidity.
Only 2370 bottles produced
100% Merlot
W.O. Elgin
Elgin Vintners, established in 2003, farms 45 hectares of vineyards in the cool-climate Elgin Valley. Our main cultivars are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. We also have Merlot and Syrah. We practise sustainability in business, vineyards, and our people. Our wines continually earn high-profile global accolades and outstanding reviews from the world’s most respected critics. Elgin Vintners crafts wines of exceptional poise, finesse, and elegance.
Elgin is South Africa’s coolest wine region. Cooler climates keep grape clusters connected to their roots for longer. Consequently, they develop more characteristics and achieve physiological ripeness more gradually, with lower sugar levels and, therefore, lower alcohols. The resultant wines convey delicacy, yet also show power and persistence, unlike warmer-climate examples, which display bolder but less lasting flavours.
Elgin vineyards sit at 305 m, the fourth highest in South Africa. The cold Atlantic lies close; this has a profound influence on day/night temperatures and prevailing south-easterly winds. The South-Easter brings a cooling respite to the vineyards but also drives in extensive cloud cover that the mountains trap over the region. This, in turn, blocks out sunlight, reduces temperatures and slows the ripening of the grapes. In extreme cases, about four or five times per year, strong wind and thick clouds produce precipitation known locally as a Black South-Easter. This dumps quite large amounts of rain throughout the day.
On calmer, warmer days, cool coastal breezes move in from the sea as the warmed land air begins to rise. This quickly lowers afternoon and night temperatures and helps maintain grape acidity levels. The ripening period of the grapes on the vine lengthens, resulting in natural balance and complex, powerful flavours.
Leaf plucking starts early in the growing season and exposes the bunches to the morning sun on the eastern side. After veraison, we carry out a green harvest and remove all the green bunches. During the ripening period, we remove all leaves in the bunch zones to ensure full phenolic ripeness.
The grapes are destemmed but not crushed. Then, the whole berries are fermented in open-top wooden fermenters. Natural fermentation is allowed, allowing the natural microflora (indigenous yeasts) to express true terroir characteristics. We perform pump-overs twice daily. Fermentation took 28 days to complete. After pressing, we fill the wine into 500 L and 300 L French oak barrels, 20% of which are new. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel, after which the wine is left to mature for 20–22 months.
Merlot is an excellent food wine due to its soft tannins, medium-high acidity, and enjoyable fruit flavours. It pairs well with a wide range of dishes, from charcuterie and cheese to pork and veal. The light meat from poultry, chicken, turkey, and duck goes well with the fruity flavours and soft texture of the wine. The salty and savoury flavours of semisoft cheeses like Gruyère, Comté, Emmenthal and Gouda will fit Oudebrug Merlot well. And the earthy flavours of this wine will pair exceptionally well with dishes containing roasted vegetables or mushrooms.
Alc:14% • Sugar: 2.70 g/l• Acidity: 5.30 g/l • pH:3.5 • FSO2:23 • TSO2:116
