Elgin Vintners Oudebrug Merlot

100% Merlot

W.O. Elgin

About us Established in 2003, Elgin Vintners, situated in the cool-climate Elgin Valley, have 45 hectares of vineyards. Our main cultivars are Pinot Noir Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. We also have Merlot and Syrah. We believe in sustainability on all fronts, in our business, vineyards, and our people. Our wines continually receive numerous high-profile globallyrenowned accolades and outstanding reviews from reputable wine critics. Elgin Vintners wines show exceptional poise, finesse, and elegance.

Terroir Elgin is the coolest wine region in South Africa. The benefit of cooler climates is that the grape cluster stays connected to its roots for longer, developing more characteristics and achieving physiological ripeness more gradually with lower sugar levels and consequently lower alcohols. The resultant wines leave one with an impression of delicacy, but also power and insistence over warmer-climate examples, which show bolder but less-persistent flavours. The vineyards have an altitude of 305 m, which makes this the 4th highest elevation in South Africa, considering that we are also next to the cold Atlantic ocean this has a profound influence on day/night temperatures, prevailing south-easterly winds. The South-Easter can bring a cooling respite to the vineyards of Elgin it can also bring extensive cloud cover that gets restricted by the mountains and extends back over the region, meaning that not only is sunlight blocked out but temperatures are also reduced and the ripening of grapes is slowed. In extreme cases, about four to five times a year, the wind is strong enough and the clouds thick enough to enable precipitation known locally as a Black South-Easter, dumping quite large amounts of rain often throughout the day. On top of this, on calmer warmer days, cool coastal breezes get sucked in from the sea as the warmed land air begins to rise which reduces the temperature very quickly in the afternoon and into the night. This helps maintain the acid levels in the grapes, leading to an extended ripening period on the vine with natural balance and complex and powerful flavours.

Viticulture Leaf plucking starts early in the growing season. The bunches are exposed to the morning sun (eastern side). After veraison, a green harvest takes place, where all the green bunches are then removed. During the ripening period, all leaves are removed in the bunch zones. This ensures full phenolic ripeness.

Vinification The grapes are destemmed but not crushed. 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. Pump-overs are done twice daily. Fermentation took 28 days to complete. After pressing, the wine is filled into 500 L and 300 L French oak barrels of which 20% is new oak. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel and the wine is then left to matured for 20 – 22 months.

Recommendation Merlot is an excellent food wine due to its soft tannins, medium-high acidity, and enjoyable fruit flavours.. It can be paired 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.

Alcohol: 14 % Residual Sugar: 2.7 Total Acid: 5.3 pH: 3.51