2010 Claypot Merlot

Tasting notes:

Laibach is very well known for consistently producing some of the best Merlots in South–Africa. The grapes for this wine are from one block which was planted in 1998. It is farmed 100% organically and like all the other grapes on our farm gets no irrigation. Merlot in South–Africa can be very tricky. We believe that we have some of the best terroir for this grape. Very deep, clay soils which are not only much cooler than other soil, but also have good water retention. This is also one of the reasons for the name, the other being that this wine is almost exclusively made for Hakkasan restaurants which have a signature dish that is served in claypots. The approach for this wine is all about attention to detail. The least vigorous plants are marked early in season to avoid any shaded fruit. It is always harvested separately and will usually ripen about 10 days earlier than the rest of this block. The grapes are all handpicked and are cooled overnight. Destemming is followed by a strict sorting regime to get rid of all unwanted green stems. A very slow process but one that we believe is absolutely important to achieve our fruit spectrum for this wine. Modern winemaking is blended with some traditional open fermentation, and in some years very long maturation after fermentation can happen. Special barrels are imported from Pomerol for the ageing. The amount of new oak and time in barrel will be matched according to vintage. Usually 14–16 months in oak. The wine is very lightly filtered before bottling. Beautiful, deep dark colour. Very expressive nose with oodles of crushed raspberry and dark chocolate. Great explosion of fruit is well supported by perfectly integrated wood and lovely velvety tannins. A perfect harmony between fruit, alcohol and tannin. A standout wine with enough class, complexity and structure to last a decade. Enjoy.