Ελληνικά
Merlot is a an early ripening red variety, with origins from western France.
The grapes for Vlassides Merlot come from the vineyard at Karamanos area in Kilani, owned by Vlassides Winery. This is a rich, velvety red wine with a deep reddish purple colour.
The wine matures for one year in oak barrels followed by one year in bottle.
With the potential to mature for an additional six to eight years.
Best served at 16-18°C.
MERLOT VLASSIDES
Varieties:
100% Merlot
Soil Composition:
Sandy Clay Loam
Vinification:
The harvest for Merlot takes place at the end of August or at the beginning of September, depending on the vintage. The extraction of phenolic substances lasts from seven to ten days. After the malolactic fermentation, the wine matures in French oak barrels for twelve months.
Organoleptic Characteristics:
- Visual aspects: Intense ruby color.
- Aromas and taste: The aromas that instantly stand out are mainly reminiscent of ripe forest fruit, sour cherry, sweet spices such as cinnamon, vanilla and tobacco. In the mouth, the aromatic sensation revolves around spicy notes.
- Structure: The moderate acidity in combination with the moderately intense tannins and its relatively full body, give a velvety texture to its long aftertaste.
- Ageing potential: Up to 8 years.
2019 Harvest Information:
| Ethanol: | 15,75% vol |
| pH: | 3,48 |
| Total Acidity (H2SO4): |
3,71g/l |
| Reducing Sugars: | 1,1g/l |
| Rainfall: October until July | 1211mm |
| Harvest Temperatures (Μ.Α.) | |
| Lowest: | 18,7°C – (8/2019) |
| Highest: | 33°C – (8/2019) |
2019 Harvest:
2019 was a year characterized by a cold winter with very high rainfall in our area; a very uncommon phenomenon for Cyprus (about 1200 mm), with average harvest temperatures up to 2 degrees lower than in 2018. This resulted in the delay of the phenolic stages of the vineyard (bud burst, flowering, veraison, maturation) and for this reason harvest begun during the 2nd week of August.
In the summer of 2019, maturation took place in the ideal harvest temperatures (Average) Minimum: 18.7°C (8/2019), 15.5°C (9/2019), Maximum: 33°C (8/2019) 31°C (9/2019), and this provided us with exceptional organoleptic characteristics, especially for the Sauvignon blanc, Xynisteri, Yiannoudi and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The damaged grapes by lobesia botrana larvae (grapevine moth), was the main issue we faced at the vineyard, the effects of which we dealt on time and effectively, in order to ensure the health of our grapes and the smooth maturation of all varieties, white and red.
In general, this year’s white wines are characterised by intense varietal aromas, which evolve during the tasting, with ideal acidity and cool aftertaste. As far as our red varieties, there was a delay between the technological and phenolic maturation. To achieve the desirable quality result, we decided to harvest the red varieties at the peak of their phenolic maturation. The delayed harvest and the partial desiccation of the grapes led to an increased sugar content which resulted in a wine with an elevated alcohol content. The precise extraction of phenolic compounds as well as the management of the oxidative ageing in oak barrels, are expected to produce red wines characterised by concentrated fruit aromas, mature tannins and rich body.