Name: Morgenster Lourens River Valley 2015
Brand: Morgenster
Price: 22 EUR
Availability: InStock

Morgenster Lourens River Valley 2015

Fantastic Bordeaux blend from the heart of Stellenbosch. Dark ruby colour with brick edges, showing the ripeness of the wine. Opens to notes of red cherries, ripe strawberries and cassis. Aging in small oak barrels adds richness to the wine and adds interesting aromas of cedar and spice to the aroma. On the palate, the wine is then full and structured, with a refined opulent expression of fruit supported by great acidity and already ripe tannins. There are also earthy notes of graphite and wet woods on the long aftertaste, which together make for a fantastic wine full of the delights of an extraordinary day.

Tim Atkin 93

2015 / 0.75l / 14.5% / Stellenbosch - South Africa

About the winery

The Morgenster family farm lies in the heart of the Helderberg (Stellebosch), at the foot of the mountains, where eagles soar in the sky. This is where the story of the Bertrand family takes place. Once upon a time, an Italian fell in love with South Africa and Cape winemaking. In 1992, he retired from his textile career, moved to South Africa and bought Morgenster - a farm with a rich history dating back 300 years. He was Giulio Bertrand. "Where there is quality, there is no compromise". Armed with this motto, Giulio set out to create excellence - premium Bordeaux-style wines and the finest extra virgin olive oils South Africa had ever seen. Today the winery is run by his wife Federica and continues her husband's successful legacy.

Morgenster's soil and proximity to the ocean make it an ideal place for both of these products to flourish. To start, they enlisted the help of world-renowned Pierre Lurton of Château Cheval Blanc and Château d'Yquem in Bordeaux to perfect the wines. Then, in collaboration with the Olive Oil Institute in Perugia, they imported 17 specially selected olive varieties. From there, they set the scene for the South African olive oil culture as we know it today. And in addition to some of the best olive oil in the world, the winery makes absolutely fantastic wines not only from Bordeaux varieties, but also from those native to Italy.

Terroir

Stellenbosch lies just 40 km east of Cape Town. The Simonsberg Mountains to the north separate it from Paarl, while the Hottentot Holland Mountains to the east separate it from Walker Bay. False Bay lies about 12 miles (20 km) to the south.

Granite and sandstone soils are found throughout Stellenbosch. Due to their high clay content, they have excellent water retention properties, although they are free draining. Sufficient winter rainfall allows growers to keep irrigation to a minimum. Much has been made of the suitability of the soils in Stellenbosch for growing particularly premium red wine grapes.

The climate in the area is relatively hot and dry, although the influence of the False Bay sea is evident in the south. In the afternoons, the vineyards are buffeted by a cool south-easterly wind, which refreshes the grapes after the hot morning sun. White wine varieties are often planted closer to the ocean where this effect is more pronounced.