Description
The Mentors Petit Verdot 2020
VINTAGE CONDITIONS:
The 2020 vintage was characterized by generally
favourable conditions, improved winter rainfall preceding the growing season
and generally mild conditions. This resulted in improved crops in particular in the
coastal areas or Swartland, Wellington, Paarl and Stellenbosch. The vintage
period was lower in disease pressure than the 2019 vintage but some rainfall
during vintage did require careful management. The spring period was
unusually warm prompting early bud break and accelerated early growth while,
the summer through vintage was mild in terms of temperature with fewer peaks
or periods of high temperature. This resulted in an early vintage start and a
compressed February finishing earlier than in recent years. Wines show great
retention of freshness and flavour with good tannin development and aging
potential. We are hugely excited about the quality of the 2020 Vintage.
WINEMAKING:
Grapes were harvested optimally ripe and hand sorted in the
Mentors cellar to ensure only the best fruit is used for fermentation. After two
days of cold maceration the juice was inoculated with a selected yeast strain.
Alcoholic fermentation lasted approximately ten days and during this time was
pumped over every four hours. Wine was racked off the skins, settled and
transferred to barrels where malolactic fermentation took place for three weeks.
The wine was then racked and cleaned, and returned to barrels. After 12 months,
the best wines were selected to mature for an additional six months. In total
during the 18-month maturation period the wine was racked twice. This wine is
truly about selecting the best-of-the-best.
MATURATION: The wine was matured for 18 months in French oak barrels of
which 70% was first-fill.
WINE DESCRIPTION: This intense, ruby-red wine is concentrated and leads on
the nose with perfume notas, red berries, cranberries and sweet spice followed
by black olives and aniseed. The palate is rich and juicy with plums and dark
cherries. The grippy tannin structure is well integrated and delivers an intense,
lasting finish.
SERVING SUGGESTION: Rich and juicy, the wine is best paired with hearty red
meats and aged cheese.
CELLARING POTENTIAL: This wine is ready to be enjoyed now, but will cellar well
for at least eight years.
Fabrizio P. (verified owner) –
Chris Steyn (verified owner) –
Fabrizio (verified owner) –
great wine!
George Sakulias (verified owner) –
Fabrizio P. (verified owner) –