Red Blend - Lourens River Valley

As this the third vintage of Lourens River Valley made it’s way onto the shelves and into dining arenas, it is clearly the product of the Morgenster quality philosophy as well as a very clear sign of things to come from this fledgling brand. Wine production from the 40ha of exclusively Bordeaux varieties on this 200ha property has been managed from the outset with a single minded focus on producing only the very best.

Evaluation of the grapes begins in the vineyards with site selection as the first of three careful selection processes. The first selection takes place after rigorous tasting of the grapes during the ripening phase, and only the best grapes are harvested. The second takes place at the sorting table just outside the winery; every bunch is scrutinized for any flaws, and once again, only the very best bunches and berries make their way into the de-stalker. Our third selection process takes place after barrel maturation but before blending. At this stage, every barrel is tasted and evaluated in terms of its ability to carry the Morgenster credence.

COLOUR: Strikingly fresh, concentrated and deep plum colour.

NOSE: Fresh nuances of cherry, blackcurrant and liquorice carried by undertones of vanilla spice and some oak wood. A flinty, earthy, mushroom (or is it truffles) as a second nose gives one the impression of a unique, terroir-specific character rather than a certain cultivar expression.

PALATE: The rather sweet nuances of the dominating Merlot component offers exactly those fruit flavours carried from the first impression. A classic style with a subtle mouth feel brought upon by the successful marriage of the components.

VINTAGE CONDITIONS: A hot year with predictable powerful concentrated reds which bodes very well for the cellaring potential of our wines form this harvest.

MATURATION: Individual components spent 15 months in 300l French oak barrels, 22% new wood. The wine spent 6-months in bottle in the confines of the cellar before release.

WINE ANALYSIS
Alc / Vol: 13.7%
Acidity: 6.0 gm/l
pH: 3.4
Residual sugar: 2.5gm/l
Extract: 31.0gm/l

FOOD MATCHES: Pair this wine with roasted peppers, wild mushroom and truffle risotto, butternut ravioli and ripe cheese.

Awards
John Platter: 4½
Grape Magazine: 4½
British Wine Magazine: 94