Nederburg Edelrood | 2019
THE RANGE:Nederburg’s core range of varietal and blended wines is an expression of its proud legacy of winemaking excellence, dating back to 1791. These classically styled, food- friendly wines with abundant fruit flavours, elegance and finesse, treasure the integrity of the grapes in every step of the wine-growing and winemaking journey. Every drop demonstrates an unwavering commitment to world-class vineyard and cellar skills.
VINEYARDS:
The grapes were sourced from top-performing vineyards situated in the Darling and Cape Town districts, both cool climate winegrowing areas with the benefit of slower ripening of the grapes to achieve greater flavour intensity. The vines are grown in granite soils with good water-holding capacity, resulting in grapes with a higher natural acidity, adding to the freshness and longevity of the wine. Open vineyard canopies bring about greater sunlight penetration of the grape bunches, contributing to a well-balanced acidity, in turn contributing to better tannin structure and fruit expression as well as deeper colour intensity.
WINEMAKING:
The grapes were harvested early in the morning in February and March, at 23º to 25º Balling. On arrival at the cellar, the fruit was gently crushed and fermented on the skins in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks at 25º to 28° C for 10 to 14 days. Additional oxygen was given during fermentation to add to colour intensity and realise a more polished and accessible tannin structure. Malolactic fermentation was strictly controlled and bacteria inoculated to enhance freshness and vibrancy of flavour. The wine was left on the fine lees after blending, for increased freshness and longevity. Oak trials were done on each vineyard block and a significant portion of the wine was fermented in French oak barrels for a period of 15 months, with the final blend aged in big oak vats to add to the complexity of the wine, achieve better oak integration, as well as for a more expressive nose and palate. The wine was released after at least 3 months of bottle ageing to allow the wine to recover from bottle shock and to ensure all components are in balance. Plant proteins were used exclusively during setting and fining, making this wine suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
