William Robertson Merlot

William Robertson Merlot

South Africa’s most popular red wine varietal. This wine ticks all the boxes! Rich, dark ruby with ripe, punchy plum flavours, sweet black cherry and a velvety finish. Delicate oaking does not mask the ripe fruit. Enjoy now with roast chicken, beef, lamb, pasta or steak.
VINEYARDS: Merlot by nature is very sensitive to heat and prefers cooler areas therefore we plant our Merlot on the lower mountain slopes in deep karoo soils that retain water well. These soils render a good buffer capacity against unfavourable weather conditions. Various management manipulations are used to ensure that a good balance between canopy and crop load is achieved. Sufficient light penetration into the canopy is necessary for sufficient colour formation, especially on a cultivar like Merlot. Our Merlot vines are planted mainly South East – North West to protect the grapes from direct sunlight and to utilize the prevailing South Eastern breeze to cool the grapes during the ripening season. Irrigation is supplemented by controlled drip irrigation from the Breede River.
WINEMAKING: Grapes were harvested at full ripeness between 24,5° – 26°B from a selection of vineyards. Cold soaking happened two days prior to
fermentation to ensure optimum colour and flavour extraction. Fermentation took place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks at 28°Celcius for 7 days. The
wine was matured on French Oak for 4 months to add weight and complexit

Established in 1941. The winery had its humble beginnings in a charming missionary church on the outskirts of Robertson, and its history is closely linked to that of the town. Robertson, established 1852, was named in recognition and appreciation of the many services of Dr William Robertson, a Scottish minister who arrived in South Africa in 1822. During the late 19th century, the worker community that occupied the land where the Robertson Winery now stands built a stone church and their congregation was serviced by missionaries. When Robertson Winery was established in 1941, the small church was no longer in use and the winery acquired the building for its winemaking and cellaring operations. We believe winemaking is a natural process. Since different styles of wine vary greatly in their soil and climatic requirements, our accomplished cellarmaster believes that the desired style should determine the choice of vineyard. Adhering to a philosophy of minimal handling and gentle pressing in order to capture the natural flavours of the fruit in the wine, the team of winemakers gently guide the transformation process to craft wines of exceptional quality and individuality.

An appealing light straw colour. Light with lovely ripe, attractive rounded fruit. Fresh floral nose and an exciting acid balance.

To find out more about the winery go to their website by clicking here

Robertson is nestled in a valley of abundance, from the sun-drenched mountain vineyards growing select varietals to plentiful river valley vineyards heavy with fruit. But more than the land and the climate, it’s the people who’ve always been generous. In fact, many of the farms and farmers have been supplying us for decades. And because the rhythms of the seasons inform everything that we do, the best grapes are picked at the right time, pressed, fermented and blended by our winemakers, the result is award-winning wines you can’t help but want to share.

To see our full range of Robertson Wines go to our webpage by clicking here.

William Robertson Merlot