Merlot

Springbok Pie.

Anthonij Rupert Wyne was founded on the farm L’Ormarins in Franschhoek. Originally owned by the late Anthonij Rupert who passed away in 2001 the farm was eventually taken over by his brother Johann Rupert in 2003 and the brand named after him. It was Johann Rupert who constructed a state-of-the-art winemaking facility catapulting the farm into a prestigious wine estate and the beginnings of what is now a sprawling enterprise. The focus is on terroir specific wines and therefore the ranges are made from a number of sites. Each site offers optimum varietal specific growing conditions allowing Anthonij Rupert Wyne to adhere to the requirements of their different brands.

The 2019 Merlot vintage in Franschhoek marked a significant turnaround from the tough conditions of previous years. After enduring three years of intense drought, the vineyards bounced back, resulting in a much higher yield compared to 2018. Although the fluctuating weather during the crucial flowering and fruit set in October caused some uneven ripening, the overall growing season was marked by moderate conditions that encouraged strong vine growth and lush canopies. The slightly cooler temperatures leading up to harvest allowed the grapes to develop beautifully, with a great balance of acidity and exceptional flavours.

The wine is then matured for 24 months in 50% new French oak barriques, bottled unfiltered, and aged in the bottle for an additional three years. The grapes for this Merlot are all sourced from our Franschhoek vineyards giving it a distinct sense of place.

Our 2019 Merlot grapes were carefully hand-picked and placed into small lug boxes before being transported to the cellar in refrigerated trucks to preserve their freshness. Upon arrival, the whole berries go through a thorough double-sorting process, including optical sorting, and are gently gravity-fed into wooden fermenters. Each parcel undergoes a cold soak for a few days before gradually being warmed for a natural fermentation to take place. After fermentation, the wine is left on the skins for an extended 5-day maceration period to extract even more depth and colour.