Merlot 2006 - a new vintage from Bilton

“Bilton Merlot 2006 is an aromatic wine with a complex array of aromas, such as sweet violets, ripe plums, cherries and mint with a sweet spicy backing on the nose that follow through to the palate, opening up with even more layers of earthy, dark chocolate and cedar wood flavours and just a hint of coffee. The wine is silky across the palate with juicy, supple tannins ending with a long sweet mint aftertaste,” is how winemaker Rudi de Wet, who is an avid Merlot fan, described his wine.

Taking over at St Emilion

Rudi's predilection for Merlot took him to St Emilion in France, where the cultivar has been grown for centuries. He worked at Château Gravet Renaissance during the harvest season where he found himself having to take over the reins in the cellar after the resident winemaker had an accident and dislocated his back. Whilst honing his Merlot-making skills, Rudi also had the opportunity to visit some of the world's top châteaux in the Bordeaux region. “The opportunity of going to a town like St Emilion and making wine the French way really inspired me and gave me a better understanding of the essence of Merlot,” he said.

The usage of different cooperages to increase the complexity of the wine is certainly a common thread running through the Bilton wine-making team - Rudi together with consultant Giorgio Dalla Cia - and the French way of making Merlot. This philosophy has always been followed by the wine-making duo.

French, American and Hungarian

“From one tank we can fill barrels from different cooperages, leave it for two years and then blend the wine back to just one tank before bottling, thereby achieving different flavours and structures in every bottle of wine,” explained Rudi who uses 80%new barrels, 90%of which is French and the remainder being American and Hungarian.

Situated in an area conducive to producing excellent red wines, the success of Bilton wines is rooted in the deep, rich soils combined with cool south-westerly breezes from the nearby ocean that provide ideal conditions for slow ripening of the grapes and the development of an abundance of varietal flavour.

The Bilton Merlot 2006 is a delicious partner to red-meat dishes such as oxtail, roast lamb, beef and venison, but pairs equally well with richly flavoured fish dishes and mature white cheddar.

Bilton Merlot 2006 retails at about R110 per bottle and is available at the cellar and leading wine outlets or online at www.biltonwines.co.za.