Merlot Reserve

Perfect for pairing with dishes like seared duck breast, mushroom risotto, or aged Gruyère.

In 1983 Gyles Webb and his wife's family purchased a run-down fruit farm at the top of the Helshoogte Pass in Stellenbosch where they established Thelema Mountain Vineyards. At a time when the South African wine scene was focused on quantity rather than quality Webb was a trailblazing pioneer on a mission to craft world-class wines. Construction began on the winery in 1987 and Thelema produced its first vintage in 1988. Situated on the slopes of the Simonsberg Thelema occupies mainly south-facing aspects that afford spectacular views of the Simonsberg Drankenstein and Jonkershoek mountains. Elevations ranging from 370 to 640 meters above sea-level make the 157-hectare estate one of the coolest and highest wine farms in Stellenbosch.

An uncharacteristically cold and wet start to the growing season ensured good dormancy in the vines, while an early and warm January brought the ripening period forward. Reds delivered dark colour and impressive structure quite early in the harvest, balanced by higher-than average acidity. Overall, a promising vintage.

The wines age gracefully in place for 18 months in 55% new 225L French oak barrels.

The grapes were gently de-stemmed, retaining as many whole berries as possible, after which a displacement pump takes the fruit to its fermentation tank. The tanks are then inoculated with a specific commercial yeast strain, this way insuring the development of the perfect flavour profile. Fermentation is done in stainless steel fermenters, and a combination of aerative pump overs and punch down techniques are used to ensure optimal colour, tannin, and flavour extraction. Once fermentation is complete the wine is drained off the skins and moved to a holding tank to be barrelled down. Malolactic fermentation takes place in the barrels.