Technical Specifications
Alcohol 14.0%
Residual Sugar 2.4 g/L
pH 3.31
Total Acidity 6 g/L
Calories (estimated) 115 kcal / glass
150ml glass115 kcal
750ml bottle575 kcal
Grape Varieties Merlot
Merlot100%
Region Elgin
Soil Mostly table mountain sandstone 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 192
Natural Yeast Yes
Maceration 3 days
Oak Aging 20 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 20 months in 225L barriques from 1 of 3 Bordeaux cooperages, with tighter-grain, medium-toast oak. The producer also notes a minimal-intervention approach with only two punch-downs daily. 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.
Tasting Notes
ripe red fruits, plums, dark cherries, earthy complexity, minerality, freshness, ripe tannins, silkiness, elegance
▸ Sources (1)
Producer Information
Website
Address
Rockview Dam Road, Elgin, 7180, South Africa
Phone
+27 21 859 2491
Email
Owner
Shannon Family
Cellarmaster
Gordon Newton Johnson