LOURENS RIVER VALLEY 2001
Lourens River Valley, the very first of the Morgenster wines made
in the new state of the art cellar by Marius Lategan after he joined the
team in 1999. After having been intricately involved in the design of his
cellar, his very next ‘assignment' was to spend a vintage with
Pierre Lurton of Chateaux Cheval Blanc at the revered winery in Saint
Emilion - "their strict management of phenolic and tannin components
right from the vineyard to maturation made a life-long impression for
me" - what more could a winemaker want?
Morgenster's exacting focus on quality combined with a specific
philosophy for this wine, delivers remarkable elegance combined with
terrific potential to age this wine. The philosophy behind this wine
begins with vineyard selection from sites above 200m, on NW facing slopes
which attract a maritime influence from False Bay which preserves the
delicate Merlot fruit.
VINEYARD
REGION |
Stellenbosch
Helderberg ward |
VINTAGE
CONDITIONS |
The 3rd consecutive hot vintage that emphasised
the importance of being patient to gain optimum ripeness |
GRAPE
VARIETIES |
Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet franc |
| MATURATION |
The individual cultivars were aged per clone for
15 months. Once blended, the wine was returned to barrels for a
further 45 days for integration. The bottled wine spent a further nine
months in the cellar before release. |
WINE
ANALYSIS |
| Alc / Vol: |
14.5% |
| Acidity: |
5.6g/l |
| pH: |
3.6 |
| Residual sugar: |
<2.5g/l |
| Extract: |
34.35g/l |
|
FOOD
MATCHES |
Most dishes incorporating Game bird, ostrich,
small antelope, Karoo lamb |
Winemaker comments by
Marius Lategan |
| COLOUR |
Plum red with a concentrated core depth
demonstrates the richness of the wine |
| NOSE |
Aromas of black cherry, cassis, strawberry shortcake, toast
and cedar |
| PALATE |
The entry offers sweet nuances with toasty oak, a medley of
fresh ripe berries and notes of marzipan and vanilla. The oak-spice
compliments the fruit and expresses a good layer of acid and tannin
balance. The mouth-feel is complimented by a well textured
mid-palate weight, great overall elegance without presence of
clumsiness on the finish. |
Awards
|
| Platter Guide: |
4½ stars |
| Steve Tanzer Intl Wine Cellar: |
90 points |
| Robert Parker The Advocate: |
89 points |
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