Accolades
Selected by the Wine-of-the-Month Club
Tasting Notes
The wine's youth and accessibility come through in a brilliant, deep ruby colour, introducing a style that is medium-bodied. Yet the wine has a great strength of character: distinctive varietal roasted coffee beans, chocolate and rich, ripe fruit, with a hint of herbaceousness on the nose and palate. Bold, but accessible. Enjoy with Potroast Guineafowl.
Ageing Potential
Should mature well for another 6 to 7 years.
In The Vineyard
Hoopenburg is located at the foot of Simonsberg Mountain, in the Muldersvlei area near Stellenbosch. The area has a fairly moderate climate, with rainy, cold winters and hot, dry summers. The average rainfall is 600 mm per annum. The soil is sandy and well drained.
Merlot is the variety with the biggest planting on Hoopenburg. A total of 12,42 hectare was planted between 1993 and 1999. The vines are not trellised and generally not irrigated.
About The Harvest
The grapes were harvested manually in small crates at full ripeness.
In The Cellar
The must fermented dry on the skins, malolactic fermentation was completed and the wine was left in the tank to settle. The wine was then transferred to new and second-fill French oak barrels to mature for ten months.