Red Afrikaner

Literally translated as ‘fine bush’, fynbos is a South African natural treasure. It forms the essence of the Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest but most diverse of earth’s six floral kingdoms. Fynbos is incredibly resilient, able to withstand and even thrive in the face of the harshest elements to create rare beauty.

Handpicked grapes are sourced from two prominent Merlot vineyard sites – one is a bush-vine and dryland vineyard near the town of Malmesbury with Oakleaf soils which are rich in clay and shale; and the other between Paarl and Paardeberg, where the soils are deep Red Oakleaf and Duplex. These soils offer good water retention, rich nutrients and enable a deep root system which is ideal for vine health and promoting a balanced wine structure. The vines are mostly north-facing with an average age of 15 years with optimal yields of about 11 tons per hectare, thereby ensuring the vines are in a balanced state.

The handpicked grapes are picked at about 24° Balling, followed by destemming and cold-soaking for three days. The fermenting wine underwent pump-overs and after primary fermentation, malolactic fermentation took place in mostly second-filled barrels with a portion in new barrels. This richly structured and concentrated Merlot was further matured in 300-litre French oak barrels for 16 months to gain complexity and flavour. A small portion of 20% of the wine was not matured in wood in order to enhance the final blend with the ripe primary fruit flavours.

This finely crafted wine expresses concentrated yet ripe Merlot flavours of red cherries, young berries, plums and red berries. Layers of oak spice and wood shavings are integrated with savoury and tomato notes mingling together with a long and lingering finish. A firmly structured and full-bodied wine which will benefit from careful ageing and will complement grilled sirloin and rump steaks to perfection.

Alcohol 14.42 %
Total Acidity 6.1 g/L
Total Sulphites 103 mg/L
pH 3.45
Residual Sugar 3.6 g/L