Thelema Merlot Reserve 2020

4.5 STARS - PLATTER'S WINE GUIDE 2023

This wine is a limited release of the finest Merlot of the vintage. It is rich and complex and showing extraordinary concentrations of ripe berries and cedar wood.

Food Pairing

Mushroom risotto, rich pastas and grilled meats.

Winemaker's Comments

This wine is a blend of the best parcels within our merlot vineyards. Notes of violets, sweet piquant plummy black fruits and a wonderful undertone of graphite. On the palate, there are layers upon layers of black and blue berry fruits, espresso notes and fabulous depth.

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Tasting Notes

Viticultural Practices

Varietal	Merlot – Clone 192 / MO 343
Root stock	R99
Soil type	Hutton – decomposed granite
Age of vines	Planted in 1988 & 2000
Plant density	3200 vines per hectare
Trellising	Vertical hedge
Pruning	2-bud spurs every 12cm
Yield	11 t/ha
Irrigation	Supplementary drip
Vintage	Moderate weather during the growing season lead to optimal ripening conditions allowing for evenly ripened fruit with great natural acidity and concentration of flavour.
Picking date	20 - 24 February 2020
Grape sugar	23.5 °B - 24.5 °B
Acidity	5.47 g/l
pH at harvest	3.5

Winemaking Practices

Yeasts	Alchemy X-Pure
Fermentation temp	24 - 26 °C
Method	The grapes are de-stalked, hand sorted, the whole berries are pumped into stainless steel fermentation.Tanks, inoculated with a cultured yeast and pumped over once a day until the desired level of colour and tannin extraction has been achieved. After fermentation the wine is pressed and racked to barrel for malolactic fermentation.
Wood maturation	18 months in 100% new French oak barrels

Wine Details

Residual Sugar	2.1 g/l
pH	3.48
Total acid	5.6 g/l
Alcohol	14.0% by volume

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The Current Range

Thelema Cap Classique 2017

92 POINTS - TIM ATKIN SOUTH AFRICA SPECIAL REPORT 2023