Redolent of lusciously ripe plums in its youth, this wine has complex layers of dark cherries, cocoa, cinnamon and toasted hazelnut (from 16 months in French oak barrels) that come to the fore over time. Its appealing sweetness and full-bodied richness are balanced by fresh acidity and a pinch of mixed herbs. Made in a soft and approachable style for early enjoyment, it nonetheless has enough backbone and plenty of length on the smooth finish to suggest that it won’t disappoint those who wish to cellar it for 5 years.
VINEYARD
The Muratie Merlot was harvested from two North West facing blocks on the estate. The vines were planted in 1990 and 2003 at an elevation of 280 m above sea level. The Table Mountain sandstone soil provides good moisture to these dry-land vineyards. All the vines are grafted on Richter 99 rootstocks.
VINIFICATION
The grapes were handpicked, yielding 5 tons per hectare. They were then crushed, destalked and pumped into traditional open fermenters. Pump-overs and punch downs were done at regular intervals. The wine was matured in French oak barrels for 16 months.
Story of the Wine:
The artist George Paul Canitz was out horseback riding with his daughter Alberta Annemarie when they, quite by chance, discovered Muratie. They both fell instantly in love with the property, which he purchased in due course, and when he died he left it to her, making her one of the first female wine-farm owners in the country. A fiercely independent woman, she kept Muratie exactly as her father had left it, and she rode well into her 80s, eventually only stopping, she insisted, ‘because the horse is too old’.
Like fine wine, she got better with age, making this Merlot, with its potential to become increasingly characterful over time, a fitting tribute.
