Carl van der Merwe may be better known for his Rhône style reds, but he can make impressive Bordeaux blends too.
Tim Atkin MW
Maestro Red, DeMorgenzon
Named in honour of the Baroque music DeMorgenzon pipe to their vines, Maestro Red is a Bordeaux-style blend from Stellenbosch.
This wine has notes of cassis with rich red fruit, dried herbs and plums on the nose. The palate is soft and silky with integrated flavours of cigar box and black fruit. A blend of 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 10% Malbec.
Technical analysis
ALCOHOL
14.5 %
RESIDUAL SUGAR
1.9 g/L
pH
3.59
ACIDITY
5.2 g/L
ORIGIN
South Africa
WINEMAKER
Carl van der Merwe
VARIETY
Red Blend
TIME IN OAK
18 months
MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION
Yes
CLOSURE
Cork
BOTTLE SIZE
75cl
REGION
Stellenbosch
VEGETARIAN
Yes
VEGAN
Yes
Vintage conditions
Conditions in 2016 were hot and dry resulting in a rapid harvest. Care had to be taken to harvest as quickly as possible, in an effort to preserve the grapes’ natural acid and freshness. Due to the dry conditions, the crop quality was excellent, although yields were lower than usual, averaging at around 6 tons per hectare.
Vinification details
Fruit was carefully hand sorted and naturally fermented, whole berry. Post-fermentation maceration was allowed for two weeks, followed by gentle pressing. Maturation was for a total of 18 months in French oak, in a selection of 300 litre casks and 3000 litre foudres. The wine was bottled with minimal fining and a minimal filtration.
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Leafy, floral and well structured, with a core of damson and blackcurrant fruit and understated oak.
Tim Atkin MW
Maestro Red, DeMorgenzon
Named in honour of the Baroque music DeMorgenzon pipe to their vines, Maestro Red is a Bordeaux-style blend from Stellenbosch.
This wine has notes of cassis with rich red fruit, dried herbs and plums on the nose. The palate is soft and silky with integrated flavours of cigar box and black fruit. A blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 15% Malbec, 10% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc.
Technical analysis
ALCOHOL
14.0 %
RESIDUAL SUGAR
1.8 g/L
pH
3.60
ACIDITY
5.6 g/L
ORIGIN
South Africa
WINEMAKER
Carl van der Merwe
VARIETY
Red Blend
FINED USING
Egg white
TIME IN OAK
18 months
MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION
Yes
CLOSURE
Cork
BOTTLE SIZE
75cl
REGION
Stellenbosch
VEGETARIAN
Yes
VEGAN
No
Vintage conditions
2015 was one of the earliest vintages on record and careful attention had to be paid in the vineyards to ensure ripe fruit was harvested. This was achieved through effective crop thinning and selective harvest. Soil moisture levels had to be managed to extend the ripening as late as possible. Disease pressure was low and fruit health and fruit concentration was excellent. The earlier vintage resulted in more prominent tannins, hence the extraction in the winery was adjusted accordingly.
Vinification details
Fruit was carefully hand sorted and naturally fermented, whole berry. Post-fermentation maceration was allowed for two weeks, followed by gentle pressing. Maturation was for a total of 18 months in French oak, in a selection of 300 litre casks and 3000 litre foudres. The wine was bottled with no fining and a minimal filtration.
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The palate is crisp with grainy tannin, a little austere at first but demonstrating good depth and backbone towards the finish that has a Médoc-like (Saint Julien) character.
Neal Martin, eRobertParker.com
Maestro Red, DeMorgenzon
Named in honour of the Baroque music DeMorgenzon pipe to their vines, Maestro Red is a Bordeaux-style blend from Stellenbosch.
This wine has notes of cassis with rich red fruit, dried herbs and plums on the nose. The palate is soft and silky with integrated flavours of cigar box and black fruit. A blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Malbec, 16% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc.
Technical analysis
ALCOHOL
14.0 %
RESIDUAL SUGAR
2.2 g/L
pH
3.60
ACIDITY
5.5 g/L
ORIGIN
South Africa
WINEMAKER
Carl van der Merwe
VARIETY
Red Blend
FINED USING
Egg white
TIME IN OAK
18 months
MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION
Yes
CLOSURE
Cork
BOTTLE SIZE
75cl
REGION
Stellenbosch
Vintage conditions
2014 was a difficult year in that early season rains persisted throughout the spring and early summer. Disease pressure was high and vigilance was needed to ensure fruit health. Bordeaux varieties benefit from longer hang times and the higher moisture levels in the soils allowed for this. Removing leaves in the fruit zone allowed for sufficient sunlight penetration and the result was optimally ripe fruit with very soft tannins.
Vinification details
Fruit was carefully hand sorted and naturally fermented, whole berry. Post-fermentation maceration was allowed for two and a half weeks, followed by gentle pressing. Maturation was for a total of 18 months in French oak, in a selection of 300 litre casks and 3000 litre foudres. The wine was bottled with no fining and a minimal filtration.
Awards
IWC 2016: Gold and Trophy ‘Best Stellenbosch Red Blend’
IWSC 2016: Silver
eRobertParker.com: 91 pts
Green credentials
Accredited Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) estate.
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