Plaisir de Merle Sauvignon Blanc

Description

Plaisir de Merle Sauvignon Blanc is made by winemaker Niel Bester at what is considered to be Distell’s showpiece estate. Niel celebrated 20 years as winemaker in 2012. Plaisir de Merle is a 974 hectare estate located on the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountains at Simondium between Paarl and Franschoek. This historic estate has a very long history, it was founded by French Huegenots in 1693. Today, Niel Bester attributes the benefits of not only working with great fruit coming from unique terrain but the invaluable input of his viticulture team, including viticulturalist Freddie le Roux. Over 400 hectares are planted with vineyards, however only about 80 hectares are considered of high enough quality to use in Plaisir de Merlot wines. The other grapes go into some of Distell’s other wines.

The grapes for Plaisir de Merle Sauvignon Blanc are sourced primarily from 12 year old vineyards in Darling with a north-easterly aspect, in deep red, well-drained Oakleaf soils. All the grapes are hand-harvested. The grapes undergo a short period of skin contact (very short, ranging from none to 4 hours) and the must is kept on the lees for 3 days, which helps to enrich the flavours in the wine. The juice is fermented for about 3 weeks in temperature controlled stainless steel and is left on the less for a further 2 months. There is no oak used.