Technical Specifications
Alcohol 14.5%
Residual Sugar 2.4 g/L
pH 3.37
Total Acidity 6.4 g/L
Calories (estimated) 120 kcal / glass
150ml glass120 kcal
750ml bottle600 kcal
Grape Varieties Merlot
Merlot100%
Region Elgin
Soil Mostly table mountain sandstones with a high percentage of quartz silica crystal and a deeper kaolin clay base
Orientation East Facing Slopes
Harvest Dates last week of March and first week of April
Grape Clone MO 12
Natural Yeast Yes
Maceration 3 days
Oak Aging 22 months
Oak Details 50% First Fill New Oak
First Fill New Oak50%
Second Fill Oak50%
Barrel Size 225L barriques
Oak Toast Level Medium
Production Details The grapes are picked from a small 3 hectare vineyard divided into 5 parcels, each with its own clone. Soil, trellising, and canopy management are constant across the vineyard, with clonal characteristics determining harvest timing. There is an 11-14 day difference between picking the first and last clone. Bunches are chilled to 3°C, sorted on a conveyor, and destemmed. Berries are hand sorted before 3 to 6 days of cold maceration at 8°C. The parcel selected for Shannon Black is naturally fermented, with fermentation temperatures between 26-30°C, followed by malolactic fermentation and maturation in oak barriques. The wine is matured for approximately 22 months in 225L barriques from 1 of 3 Bordeaux cooperages, with tighter-grain, medium-toast oak. Rootstock: Richter 110. Planting distance: 2.2m x 1.2m. Vines per hectare: 3,787. Trellis system: vertical shoot positioning. Irrigation: micro irrigation. Average production: 5 tons per hectare. Altitude: 260 to 300 metres above sea level.
Tasting Notes
ripe red fruits, plums, dark cherries, earthy complexity, minerality, freshness, ripe tannins, silkiness, elegance
Individual Vintages
Producer Information
Website
Address
Rockview Dam Road, Elgin, 7180, South Africa
Phone
+27 21 859 2491
Email
Owner
Shannon Family
Cellarmaster
Gordon Newton Johnson