Stellekaya Merlot Stellenbosch SA (2022)
Wine Tasting Notes
Stellekaya's 2022 Merlot shows a deep ruby-crimson color and a fragrant nose of plum, black cherry and mulberry, touched with cedar, cocoa and dried herbs. Medium- to full-bodied, it enters soft and supple, then broadens into darker berry fruit with savory, earthy notes, gentle spice and fine, polished tannins kept lively by fresh acidity. The smooth, lingering finish pairs beautifully with slow-roasted lamb, braised short ribs or mushroom risotto, and the wine should reward five or more years in the cellar.
Winery/Producer Highlights
Stellekaya — Merlot was Stellekaya's very first wine. Founder Dave Lello made it in 1999, and the grape remains central to the family's all-red portfolio, which Jane Lello has led since 2016. The wines are made at Bosman's Crossing in Stellenbosch, in a former brandy cellar converted in 2003. The fruit is hand-sorted and cold-macerated, punched down in open bins, basket-pressed and matured entirely in French oak barrels. Named for Aldebaran, the "eye of the bull" in Taurus, the 2022 is 100% Merlot grown on decomposed-granite soils.
Descriptive Words
Supple, Plummy, Savory, Smooth, Fragrant
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