2014 Cranswick Estate Merlot

Rich berry plum aromas with mocha oak overtones, with a palate offering dark berry fruit with ripe fleshy flavours and soft full tannins.

---

Viticulture

Harvested from mature vineyards of 19 years old. The vines are trained to a single cordon with a single foliage wire. Vines are drip irrigated on clay loam soils. The 2014 vintage offered ideal ripening conditions with cool nights and mild summer days, this resulted in fruit of exceptional quality.

---

Vinification

The must is cold soaked prior to fermentation to allow maximum extraction of flavours from the berry skins. The ferment takes place in stainless steel static fermenters with the skin cap irrigated automatically. Wine is then pressed onto French oak staves and undergoes through malolactic fermentation on oak to help extract more integrated oak flavours and tannin. The resultant wine remained on oak for 6 months prior to bottling.

---

Recommendation

Perfect served with barbecues, grilled red meats or tomato based pasta dishes.