Meinert ‘The Italian Job’ White Merlot 2020

Meinert Family Collection ‘The Italian Job’ White Merlot 2020

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 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th 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 November 2020. Only 2505 bottles made.

Tasting Notes

Shows brilliant clarity with delicate aromas of rose petals, white peach, quince, and faint flinty undertones. On the palate, it is textured and vibrant, exhibiting a crisp and linear structure that balances richness with refreshing acidity. The finish is clean and lingering, making it a distinctive and elegant expression of white Merlot.

Analysis

Alcohol: 13.0 %
Residual Sugar: 2.1 g/l
Total Acidity: 5.4 g/l
pH: 3.32
Wine of Origin: Swartland

Special Note

With our terroir being particularly well suited to Merlot, and hence the brand largely anchored on Merlot, it is a natural evolution of the curious wine-mind to keep wondering and wondering and wondering…

Having stumbled across the Merlot Bianco’s of Ticino, Switzerland, the style, reminiscent of Chardonnay, seemed a natural fit with our terroir and ideology – boutique, artisanal & expressionist.

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 whose complexity continually evolves. Chilled, this wine is also the perfect accompaniment while pondering the meaning of life.