merlot forte
W.O. Stellenbosch
Our newest child, the Merlot forte, is an novelty for South Africa. The first vintage produced was the 2014.
Made from partly dried grapes and matured for two to three years in tight-grain 2nd-fill French oak barrels, it is a powerful wine with a strong character, concentrated and intensely flavored, a protagonist on its own.
At Harvest, carefully selected bunches are laid out in special drying crates and allowed to partly raisin in the open air. Once the grapes have lost 30% of their weight, they are gently destemmed and fermented on the skins during several weeks.
This wine is matured in 225L French oak barrique for 24-36 months, then bottled unfined and only gently filtered.
Naturally, as the grapes shrivel, sugars, acids, tannins, flavors and other components concentrate, which gives this wine its distinctive bold character and naturally high alcohol.
This makes it the ultimate wine to crown a gourmet meal, to complement a rich dessert or a fine cheese platter; or simply enjoy on its own!
