Just Merlot...
Unique for South Africa, we focus exclusively on one variety, namely Merlot. And though we have only one small vineyard, we produce several distinctly different wines from it.
The secret lies in the modern technique of Precision Viticulture, which allows us to subdivide our vineyard into different micro-terroirs by means of multispectral imagery. Interested? Then read more about our Precision Viticulture project in Bein's vineyard (pdf/256KB)
If you ask us why Merlot, you might get different stories, depending on whether you ask Ingrid, or Luca, or even the experts from Stellenbosch University, who did the initial site analysis and actually recommended Merlot.
But one thing is for sure: Our vineyard is suited for Merlot, with its cool south-facing slope, the deep, well-drained soils and the proximity to the sea. Because these factors are so important for Merlot, they are also important for us. As Merlot fundis, we aim to convey the terroir as purely as possible.
Merlot is a challenge!
In the vineyard...
Judging by its popularity, one would think that Merlot is an easy grape to grow - but it's not. Viticulturists agree that the very site- and climate-sensitive Merlot should be considered the most challenging red grape in South African vineyards. And it's a difficult variety in the cellar, too, which every winemaker will gladly confirm.
That's why we spend so much energy in fine-tuning our
production. Have a look at our vineyard
page and see our approach to optimizing quality.
See how we produce four distinctly different wines from one single vineyard, and still
adhere to our terroir principles. Or even better, come and visit us and
get a taste of our wines!
... and in the cellar
When the fruit is ripe, the different microsites defined by Precision Viticulture are harvested separately. The crop is handpicked and carefully sorted already in the vineyard, removing any substandard berries right there. This guarantees that only the best fruit makes it to the cellar. There, the fruit is double-checked on a sorting table, then destemmed and slightly crushed, and finally fermented in stainless steel fermenters.
Malolactic fermentation and further maturation of our red wines take place in small 225L oak barrels sourced from top French cooperages. After one year of barrel maturation, the different batches are carefully evaluated, followed by tedious series of blind tastings. The optimal combination eventually makes up our flagship wine Bein Merlot.
