Merlot - Avondale Les Pleurs

This wine has a deep velvety texture, with subtle understated fruit flavours to present itself with elegance, yet understated power. The tannins are integrated and unobtrusive and come across as silky, with a long finish.
           

WINEMAKING:  
The fruit was hand-picked at 24°B.  Fifty percent of the fruit was fermented in open fermentation tanks and the other half in closed tanks. Post fermentation skin contact was used to obtain elegance and structure. Malo-lactic fermentation was allowed entirely in 225 litre French oak barrels.  After malolactic fermentation the wine was racked and put back to barrel. The wine was aged in 40% new and the rest 2nd fill French oak barrels for a total barrel contract period of 14 months.

AGEING:
The wine is ready for enjoyment, but will just mellow and get better with age for up to 15 years from bottling date.

ANALYSIS:
ALC         14.5 % vol
R/Sugar   3.5 g/l
TA           5.6 g/l
pH           3.66