Indaba Merlot

VINEYARDS

Grapes were sourced from select vineyard sites in Stellenbosch, Paarl-Paardeberg and Durbanville, planted in soils of decomposed granite, weathered shale, clay and sandy loam, with good moisture retention capacity. Most of the vineyards are located on southwest facing slopes, where they benefit from cool afternoon breezes off the Atlantic. The vines range in age from 12-20 years, with an average age of 15 years.

VINTAGE

2017 was an exceptional vintage. The growing season was characterized by extremely dry conditions, with ideal warm days, cool nights and none of the typical summer heatwaves. The drought conditions meant that there was no rot or disease pressure, resulting in small berries and reduced yields. Grapes retained excellent natural acidity and the vintage produced wines of great freshness, concentration and flavor intensity.

VINIFICATION

The grapes were harvested in the early morning hours, de-stemmed and gently crushed. The wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks, with frequent gentle pumpovers to extract color and tannin from the skins. Approximately 40% of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation and aging on new French oak staves. A small portion (2%) of the blend was from the 2016 vintage, and was aged in 225 liter French oak barrels for 16 months.