Plaisir de Merle’s Malbec brings home gold

Plaisir de Merle’s 2008 Malbec was the only South African wine to bring home international honours when it was awarded a gold medal at the second Malbec International Competition recently held near Bordeaux in France. It also received a “Special Prize” for best wine of the Southern Hemisphere.

About 150 wines from ten countries were submitted and judged by some 40 international malbec specialists. This is a unique competition for an original vine and only 10 gold and 20 silver medals were awarded.

The malbec vine, which was once cultivated by only about 30 growers in France, was favoured by kings and known as “black wine” by the English. It nearly disappeared due to the ravages of phylloxera, but can now be found in about ten wine-growing countries of the world.

The aims of the Malbec International Competition are to highlight its very specific sensory qualities, to widen consumer knowledge of the diversity of the wine, to support the producers, and to commercialise the wines produced in the many diverse terroir around the world.

Cellarmaster Niel Bester, who also received the South African Terroir Award in 2010 for his Plaisir de Merle Cabernet Franc 2008, says: “My aim with Plaisir de Merle wines has always been to produce site-specific wines portraying the true terroir of the farm. This international award for the Southern Hemisphere terroir for my Malbec 2008 indicates that we are achieving a true sense of place for Plaisir de Merle wines.”

The grapes for Plaisir de Merle Malbec 2008 came from a single 10 year-old vineyard. It was matured in 100% French oak barrels for periods of up to 16 months. Finally Bester tasted all the individual barrels and evaluated them to select the final blend.

The Plaisir de Merle Malbec 2008 has a vibrant red colour and a bouquet teeming with violets and blackcurrants. It is medium to full-bodied with a soft and velvety palate laced with ripe fruit and supported by vanilla oak flavours. Only 330 cases of this extraordinary wine were made and is available in limited quantities from the tasting centre on the farm, and sold internationally.

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