Description

Mentors Perold 2019

Vintage conditions:
The 2019 season showed great promise with improved winter rains. However, variable
weather conditions, with continuous temperature fluctuations, resulted in inconsistent
bud break, uneven flowering and set. Followed by slow and uneven ripening. Reds were
most affected and overall yields were down. White varieties, except for the lower yields
on Sauvignon Blanc, were as expected. The challenges are not without rewards: whites
are bright and flavourful with good aromatics. Reds have soft tannins with rich fruit and
generosity.
Winemaking:
This wine is a blend of varieties from regions and sites that have consistently produced
wines of outstanding quality and style. In making The Mentors Perold we set out to
produce a wine that over time will be recognized as the ultra-premium benchmark in
South Africa. Only the best varieties, regions and sites are therefore considered.
Our winemaking focuses on balanced structure, concentration and finesse. We utilize a
combination of whole-berry fermentation and gentle pump-overs to ensure every bit
of flavour is captured, with Pinotage taking priority.
For this specific wine, the bunches were handpicked and sorted to ensure only the best
of each variety went into the blend. After fermentation, the most promising wines of
each cultivar were chosen to mature further in barrel. After 12 months, the best wines
were singled out and aged for another six months.
This wine is truly about selecting the best-of-the-best. The wine was blended after 18
months in barrel, the matured as a blend for another 12 months in barrel.
Maturation:
The wine was matured for 30 months in first-fill French oak barrels.
Cellaring potential:
Enjoy now or cellar for eight to ten years from vintage.
Wine analysis:
Alcohol: 15 % v/v
pH: 3.52
Total acidity: 6.36 g/l
Residual sugar: 2.54 g/l