Porcupine Ridge, Merlot 2023

R85,00

TA – Tim Atkin MW
PG – Platter’s Wine Guide

A classic nose shows red plums, cranberry, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg at play with intriguing whiffs of rosemary, thyme & oregano. The wine is lithe and elegant with an exceptionally smooth midpalate and plush, silky texture, showing darker berry fruit flavours with fine grained, supple, integrated tannins and balanced acidity. Subtle hints of mocha and dark milk chocolate linger on a vibrant finish.

SKU 23PRMERZAB75 Categories 2023, Coastal Region, Everyday Wine, Merlot, Porcupine Ridge, Red

Vineyard & Winemaking
Technical Analysis

Grapes for our Porcupine Ridge Merlot are sourced from the Helderberg area and surrounding Stellenbosch vineyards. Vineyard parcels with balanced yields and particular soils (mainly decomposed koffieklip) were selected to accentuate the dark berry fruit character, which we strive for in this wine. The 2022 vintage was a fantastic vintage and offered healthy grapes, with phenolic ripeness easily being achieved. A cold soak for two days, before controlled fermentation in stainless steel, ensured good extraction and colour stability. We chose specific yeast strains to enhance the fruit flavours of the wine further and opted for gentle winemaking practices to ensure a beautiful, round mouthfeel. Tannin management is vital with Merlot and therefore chose to use old French oak barrels to focus on fruit rather than oak extraction.

Alcohol: 14.19% vol
RS: 3.0 g/l
TA: 4.90 g/l
pH: 3.77
W.O. Coastal Region