Wildcard-Merlot
 

Wild Card Merlot

R90

Wines by Louis van der Riet.

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Wild Card Wines is a collaboration of Winemaker Louis van der Riet and Juan Koen. Together they identified a need for good quality driven Klein Karoo wines that challenges the general perception for wines from the Klein Karoo.

These vineyards are situated between the peaks of the majestic Outeniqua Mountains.  Planted in rocky granite soils on four wire Perold trellis over 600m above sea level.

VINEYARDS

These vineyards are situated between the peaks of the majestic Outeniqua Mountains.
Planted in rocky granite soils on four wire Perold trellis over 600m above sea level.

WINEMAKING

Harvesting takes place mid-March during early morning to ensure the coolest possible
berries. The fruit is handled with extreme care and only the best berries are hand
selected. At the cellar the clusters are destemmed and lightly crushed into a closed tank
and left on the skins till the next day. Then the free run juice is separated and fermentation
takes place at cool temperatures for about a month. The wine is left on its lees for
another 6 months before bottling.

FOOD PAIRING

Great with fresh cob or stumpnose, served with a lime dressing.
The wine also works well with any pâté or salads.

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VINEYARDS
Low yielding Merlot vines planted in old shale soils in the Keisie valley. These are some of the oldest soils of South Africa forming part of the Bokkeveld Shale group. Some of South Africa’s oldest fossils where found alongside the banks of the Keisie River in 1805

WINEMAKING

The grapes are harvested beginning of March at 23-24’ balling into crates and then loaded onto a truck to make the 200 km journey to the cellar during the night. The next morning the grapes are destemmed and crushed into open lagar where the grapes are cooled for a period of 24 hours before yeast is added to the must and the fermentation begins. During this time the juice is softly pumped over the skins and at the end of fermentation the juice is drained and the skins are pressed. The wine spends time in tank to undergo malo-lactic fermentation before it is transferred to barrel where it spends 12 months before the final fining and bottling.

FOOD PAIRING

This wine will be enjoyed best with friends at any braai, or a roasted veg couscous salad, pizza or your favorite burger.

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