Delaire Banghoek Reserve Merlot 2020

The name Delaire means ‘from the sky’, a suitable name for this estate, nestled high on the crest of Helshoogte Pass outside Stellenbosch. Current owner, Laurence Graff, first visited Delaire Estate in 2003 and bought it almost immediately. The north-facing slopes of Botmaskop are ideal for high-quality viticulture and the twenty acres of vineyards planted with Bordeaux reds and Chardonnay produce supremely elegant vintages.
With water-wise gardens planted by renowned horticulturalist, Keith Kirsten featuring more than 350 plant species – 70% of which are indigenous – and vineyards managed by hand, the natural environment at Delaire Graff Estate is carefully tended to maintain a delicate balance. By committing to best practices, the ongoing preservation of the inherited biodiversity is assured and local bird and insect species are flourishing.
In the state-of-the-art cellar, winemaker Morné Vrey and his team strive to produce the very best expression of each vintage, from grapes sourced by longtime viticulturist Kallie Fernhout from both home-farm lots and select vineyards ranging from Olifants River to Napier.

The grapes for this 100% Merlot were handpicked in the early hours of the morning from the Estate’s oldest single vineyard. Extensive sorting of the grapes formed part of the quality management process. The grapes were de-stemmed only, not crushed, to ensure gentle extraction of fruit flavours and matured for sixteen months in 80% new French oak barrels.