Thelema Merlot 2012
A wonderfully balanced and juicy Merlot with up-front red fruit, dark chocolate and round, polished tannins.
Maturation
WIll develop well for 6 years from vintage date.
Food Pairing
Mushroom risotto, rich pastas and grilled meats.
Tasting Notes
Varietal | Merlot – clone 192 and 348A |
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Root stock | R99/110 |
Soil type | Hutton – decomposed granite |
Age of vines | Planted 1988 and 2000 |
Plant density | 2460 – 3200 vines per hectare |
Trellising | Vertical hedge |
Pruning | 2-bud spurs every 12cm |
Yield | Approximately 10.8 t/ha |
Irrigation | Supplementary drip |
Vintage | Dry season with cool weather during the ripening period resulting in ideal conditions for production of elegant, well balanced wines. |
Picking date | 8th - 14th March |
Grape sugar | 25.2 °B |
Acidity | 4.8 g/l |
pH at harvest | 3.65 |
Yeasts | Natural occurring yeasts |
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Fermentation temp | 27 °C |
Method | De-stalked, hand sorted, crushed, pumped into stainless steel fermenters, cold soak for 2 days, pumped over twice a day for 5 days, generally with an aerated pump over in the morning and a closed circulation in the afternoon. After fermentation the wine is left on the skins for two days before pressing and then racked to barrel for malo-lactic fermentation. |
Wood maturation | 18 months in French oak barrels, 30% new, balance in older barrels. |
Residual Sugar | 2.5 g/l |
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pH | 3.66 |
Total acid | 5.5 g/l |
Alcohol | 14.9% by volume |
Maturation | 2015 – 2020 |
Juicy, upfront red fruit and concentrated flavours with just the right amount of tannin. Hints of dark chocolate on the finish complete this wonderfully balanced wine.