With winter fast approaching, it’s time to stock up on some top quality red wine to enjoy in front of the fireplace! We know that you will love our latest release from our finest collection – Reserve Hilltop Merlot 2016
Rosendal’s Reserve range is hand-crafted by our award-winning winemaker, Therese de Beer, with a balanced focus on drinkability and maturation.
The Reserve Hilltop Merlot has a dark garnet colour. Its concentrated and intense with fragrant mulberries and dustings of cocoa on the nose, followed by mouthfuls of juicy stewed plums and velvety red fruits. The palate is broad with well integrated oak and fine tannins bringing all the components into balance.
These grapes were harvested from different blocks that is situated against the majestic Helderberg Mountains outside Stellenbosch. The vines are 12-15 years old and planted on North facing slopes. The soils are quite rocky but have a relative high clay percentage which is good for water retention.
The grapes were handpicked, destemmed in the cellar and crushed into stainless steel tanks. The must was inoculated with commercial yeast strains and fermentation commenced in 3000L open fermenters. Regular punch downs were completed every 6 hours and the temperature was kept between 28 and 32°C. Maturation continued for 12-18 months in 225L french oak barrels (30% first fill). This wine was fined and filtered before bottling, 3280 bottles in total.
We suggest serving this Merlot with dishes like slow cooked lamb ragout, a hard cheese like Pecorino, or try it with oven roasted lamb chops with mint gremolata.
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