Fragrant red berries with hints of violets and mint chocolate. Black cherries and plums layered with vanilla spice, cloves, and cedar oak ending with a soft, velvety finish. Accessible now and with careful cellaring will mature for a further five to ten years.
The grapes were hand-harvested from two Merlot vineyards at between 76.82°F and 77.72°F Balling. The grapes were destemmed, then sorted and pumped into stainless steel tanks. The grapes were fermented at 75.2°F. The juice was pumped over the skins daily to extract color, tannins, and flavor. On several occasions, the juice was emptied from the tanks and then pumped back over the skins of the same tank (rack and return). Once fermentation was completed, the wine was left on the skins for a further 6 -8 days to macerate. The wine was racked off the skins and malolactic fermentation was completed, partially in barrels and in tanks. The wine was then racked and transferred to 79.25 gallon French oak barrels (35% new) to mature for 12 to 16 months.
Winemaker: Fred Fismer
Winemaker: Fred Fismer
Plaisir Wine Estate is not only one of the oldest but one of the largest in the Western Cape at 974 hectares with some 230 hectares under vine. The remaining hectares are largely untouched to preserve the indigenous flora and fauna. The diverse terroir of the area is characterized by an interplay of climatic conditions, the slopes have well-drained weathered granite soils making it the perfect environment for exceptional grapes to thrive.
