Villiera Merlot 2017 75cl

Tasting Note

The colour of the wine is brilliant red. The aroma shows hints of wood spice with attractive dark berry fruit. On the palate the wine is rich and full with juicy soft tannins and good acidity. The wine has a long finish but is drinkable at present. It will however mature for up to six years from vintage.

Producer

This substantial farm on the edge of the Stellenbosch appellation was purchased by the Grier’s in 1983, although they elected to keep the name of the previous owners, the de Villiers family. Of the 400 hectares, around half is dedicated to vineyards with the balance set aside as a wildlife reserve. This is the quintessential family business, with cousins Simon and Jeff working in the vines and cellar respectively, whilst Jeff’s sister, Cathy, runs the sales and marketing.

One of the early supporters of ‘green’ viticulture, viticulturist Simon Grier has always been a keen supporter of maintaining environmentally friendly vineyard practices. The farm has not sprayed insecticides for the past thirteen years and a flock of 1000 Peking ducks are responsible for some natural pest control.

_{Country: South Africa | Region: Stellenbosch | Alcohol: TBC | Grapes: Merlot | Family Producer | Environmentally Friendly Vineyard Practices}