Merlot

Beef, Lamb, Veal

Lomond is situated on The Agulhas Plain near the southernmost tip of Africa at Cape Agulhas – the meeting place of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans – 8km from the fishing village of Gansbaai and within sight of the sea. The vineyards were planted only on previously cultivated land within sight of the ocean. This maritime climate with the resulting cooling sea breezes ensures that the vineyards are kept cool which results in late ripening intense fruit. On the slopes of the Ben Lomond mountain in the Uilenkraal Valley, our vineyards are planted on as many as 18 different soil types, which appear naturally in small pockets along the slopes and produce intriguingly complex wines with flavour profiles that differ markedly from one block to the next. This unique combination of geography, geology, and climate results in terroir that is perfect for producing world-class wine. The Cape Agulhas appellation has its place among the world’s top winegrowing regions, and one about which we are incredibly passionate.

The vineyard from which the fruit was sourced is situated on a south-facing slope on the lower-lying areas of the farm with a mixture of soil types comprising mainly Estcourt, Dresden and Cartref. Two different Merlot clones have been planted on Richter 110 rootstocks. The vines are trellised on a five-wire hedge system. Active suckering and removal of late ripening bunches results in low yield and grapes of an exceptionally high quality.

A portion of the wine was transferred to small French oak barrels where it underwent natural malolactic fermentation before being racked back into the barrels and matured for a period of 14 months. After maturation the wine was blended with wine which was matured in stainless steel tanks and gently filtered before bottling.

The grapes were harvested at between 23,5 to 25 degree balling. The handpicked and hand-sorted grapes were de-stemmed and crushed into stainless-steel tanks before being fermented over seven days (reaching a peak temperature of 27˚C). Extraction was achieved through rack-and-return and pump-overs. Ferments were tasted daily to determine the level of extraction, and pump-overs were adapted accordingly. On completion of fermentation, the wine spent a further three days on the skins for optimal colour and flavour extraction. The free-run juice was then drained off and the skins pressed gently.