Meinert ‘The Italian Job’ White Merlot 2018

Meinert Family Collection “The Italian Job” White Merlot 2018

Winemaking

Merlot, a red-skinned grape of course, is selectively hand harvested and then whole bunch pressed, with minimal press tumbling and pressure, to ensure minimal leaching of colour from the grape skins. After brief settling to remove solids, the juice was fermented with naturally occurring (wild) yeasts in 9 x 225 litre 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill French oak barrels. A portion of Old Vine Swartland Chenin Blanc, vinified in a Nomblot cement egg and seasoned oak barrels, was included in the blend along with a smidgen of barrel-fermented Semillon, the latter fermented in seasoned French oak barrels. The wines were matured sur lie for up to 10 months, with bottling in December 2018. Only 3169 bottles made.

Tasting Notes

Brilliant clarity and brightness as one would expect from a white wine, our Italian Job is now officially classified as a ‘White Merlot’. It’s a wine that’s difficult to describe – delicate rose petal, white peach, quince and faint flint aromatics follow through to a textured palate and crisp linearity.

Analysis

Alcohol: 13.0 %
Residual Sugar: 2.7 g/l
Total Acidity: 5.7 g/l
pH: 3.18
Wine of Origin: Swartland