Description
Steenberg Merlot 2023 is a cool-climate Constantia red built around ripe fruit, fine tannins, and measured oak. The wine balances generosity with freshness, showing the softer side of Merlot without losing the structure and acidity needed for bottle development.
The nose opens with cedarwood, lavender, and plum, followed by mulberry, raspberry preserve, and a touch of clove on the palate. The texture is supple and rounded, but bright acidity and fine tannins keep the wine focused through a dry, lingering finish. It would pair well with roast meats, tomato-based stews, mushroom dishes, or aged cheeses.
This is a structured Merlot with enough balance and freshness to develop further over the next five to seven years.
The nose opens with cedarwood, lavender, and plum, followed by mulberry, raspberry preserve, and a touch of clove on the palate. The texture is supple and rounded, but bright acidity and fine tannins keep the wine focused through a dry, lingering finish. It would pair well with roast meats, tomato-based stews, mushroom dishes, or aged cheeses.
This is a structured Merlot with enough balance and freshness to develop further over the next five to seven years.
Careful crop thinning and suckering were used in the vineyard to improve fruit quality and concentration before the grapes were harvested at optimal ripeness. In the cellar, 15% of the juice was drawn off before fermentation to further concentrate flavor and color. The wine remained on the skins for 10 to 14 days at 28°C, followed by malolactic fermentation. It then matured for 24 months in seasoned French oak and was bottled with minimal fining to preserve fruit purity and structure.
Winemaker: Elunda Basson
Winemaker: Elunda Basson
Steenberg holds the distinction of being the oldest farm in the picturesque Constantia Valley, which is generally considered to be South Africa’s premier wine growing region. With its cool, sea-facing slopes and majestic granite ridges, this vineyard has developed a worldwide reputation for producing excellent Cape wines. The estate boasts a state of the art modern winery, producing some of the country’s finest award-winning wines.
