La Motte Millenium (Case of 6)

Blend Information

57% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc, 9% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon

Food Suggestions

Ideal with any sumptuous meal. Best served with red meats, game, roasts and noble, matured cheese.

In The Vineyard

Origin

Grapes for the wine originate from vineyards in the Walker Bay, Villiersdorp, Franschhoek and Paarl areas.

Vintage

The season started with a good winter, with high water levels in the soil and in dams. This resulted in good budding, approximately two weeks later than normal. In some areas, wind caused damage during November. The highest average December temperature in 48 years was recorded – no serious damage was caused though. Closer to harvest-time, night temperatures were noticeably lower, which probably contributed to high natural acids, promoting quality. On 9 February harvesting was interrupted by rain, but without serious effects. Wines are full bodied, with good intensity and high natural acids.

Viticulture

Each vineyard grows in its own macro climate in a wide variety of soil types. Several clones are represented. All the vineyards are trellised according to the Perold system and managed to maintain a perfect balance between leaf coverage and yield. Thanks to the different terroirs, each region produces its own distinctive grapes, so grapes from each region make a unique contribution to fl avour and structure.

In The Cellar

Grapes for the wine consist of Merlot (57%), Cabernet Franc (24%), Malbec (9%), Petit Verdot (7%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (3%). Before and after destalking, all the grapes were handsorted. The de-stalked berries were inoculated with yeast immediately. Fermentation was at between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius while the wine was pumped over. After fermentation the wine was left on the lees for a further 20 days in order to enhance extraction and body. Malolactic fermentation was partly in barrels. Maturation: The different components were matured separately for 14 months in old 225-litre French oak barrels. Then blending and fi ltration followed. In September 2014, 25 080 cartons (6 x 750 ml) were bottled, to be released as 2013 La Motte Millennium.