Groot Constantia – Merlot – 2020

PRODUCER NOTE:
Groot Constantia is South Africa’s oldest estate and one of South Africa’s most visited tourist attractions. In 1685, Cape Governor Simon van der Stel built a farm in the foothills of Table Mountain, which he named Constantia. Groot Constantia received world acclaim from Napoleon, Bismarck and King Louis Philippe of France who was the biggest single buyer of Groot Constantia wines. Today, the estate is run by the Groot Constantia Trust and covers 165 hectares, of which 87 hectares are planted at an altitude of 60 to 280 metres above sea level. The vineyards are cultivated sustainably, and they hold the Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) certification. The climate is generally cool resulting in complex and balanced wines.

VINTAGE:
2020 produced a big crop, where most varieties exceeded expectations. Despite some challenging weather, such as intermittent rain in the early summer which posed a disease threat, the crop came in healthy. The quality looks good, especially from the higher vineyards.

VINEYARD:
The vineyards are located on the steep valley on the eastern side of Table Mountain. The grapes come predominantly from a block that varies between 67 and 95 metres above sea level, on slopes that are south to southeast facing. The vines are trained on vertical shoot position trellis systems and the pruning, canopy management and harvesting take place by hand. Pest control takes place biologically, and soil health and weed control are managed by a selected mix of winter cover crops. The climate is Mediterranean with cooling breezes from the Atlantic Ocean encouraging balance and complexity in the grapes. The average rainfall is approximately 1,100mm per annum. The soil types vary from deep red clay soil to red-brown loamy soil, both from granitic origin. The climate, combined with the cool southern slopes and deep mountain soils provide the ideal setting for the production of this top quality wine.

WINEMAKING:
The grapes were hand-picked at 25.5-26° Balling and fermented with selected yeasts in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine was pumped over every four hours, during the first half of the fermentation, to extract good levels of colour, flavour and fine tannins. The wine was left on its skins for two weeks to further enhance extraction, followed by malolactic conversion. Maturation lasted for 15 months in 225litre French oak barrels of which 35% were new, 30% were second-fill and 35% were fourth-fill.

TASTING NOTE:
The 2020 is a rich and ripe Merlot delivering aromas of black cherry and plum with a tocuh of tobacco and cedar. The ripe black fruits and subtle oak follows through on the palate, beautifully framed by fine tannins through to an elegant finish.

GRAPE:
Merlot 100%.

COUNTRY:
South Africa

REGION:
Constantia

SUB-REGION:
Constantia