Wine Composition
A sumptuous blend of 48% Merlot, 35% Malbec & 17% Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemakers Comments
The series M 2012 exhibits a dense purple color with a brilliant red rim. Aromatically the wine offers a smorgasbord of red fruit characters: plums, dark cherry preserves, and dried cranberries. Underlying these are more mature aromas of dried flowers, balsamic and fruitcake. Open and inviting, his vintage is notable for its silky, succulent entry, lovely weight, resolved tannin, ripe red fruit flavors, and long finish. With only a modest maturation in new French Oak, purity and clarity of aromatic expression characterize this elegant blend of the series M Malbecs, Merlots, and Cabernets from our Vilafonte Vineyard.
Awards
95 Points - Tim Atkin
93 Points - Wine Spectator
92 Points - Wine Enthusiast
Vintage
A cold, wet winter in 2011 laid a sound foundation for the 2012 vintage. The late October cooling trend, of both day and night temperatures, delayed our normal early November flowering. Warmer conditions excellent for the grape flowers followed shortly after. December brought the much needed rains, well-spaced to the needs of the vines. January and February were drier than normal for our site and coupled with a mid-January heat spell with warm nights, worked well for the ripening. February's temperatures dropped, until mid-month with a burst of warmth that pushed the vintage to its final stages for a Valentines Day start of harvest. Exceptional for this vintage were our maturing Malbec vines, giving the deep color, black fruit aromatics and fleshy texture for which Malbec is so appreciated.
Maturation
The ‘Series M’ matured for 16 months in French Oak barrels and
a further 12 months in bottle.
Winemaker
Name: Martin Smith & Zelma Long
Winery
Vilafonté is the first American and South African joint wine-making venture. This groundbreaking red wine project is a partnership between a respected group of winespecialists from South Africa (Michael Ratcliffe) and the United States (Zelma Long and Phillip Freese). Vilafonté is the first winery in South Africa to focus on making wine aimed specifically at the US market. The name Vilafonté is derived from the primary soil type of the 100-acre estate, whose character forms the foundation of the wines. The Vilafonté project aims to create the first luxury wine brand from South Africa.
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