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Merlot Prestige should be drunk on the knees with the head bared

2006 Haan Merlot Prestige

PHILOSOPHY

The Haan philosophy was established right at the beginning with Hanenhof Vineyards being managed as a true wine estate.

Providing the best possible conditions in both vineyard and winery has been the key to success to which must be added the clear understanding of wine excellence. As such then the Haan wines show distinct varietal character and classical style.

Grapes used are only from our Hanenhof Vineyard. The maturation program is balanced with an understanding of the wine style whilst maximising the typicity and definitive potential of the fruit.

VITICULTURE

The Merlot vines are 18 years old, grown on a sandy loam with a 2 metre clay base. The vines are trellised on a single wire with two foliage wires to keep the foliage upright and expose the fruit to the maximum amount of sunlight. The fruit was allowed to ripen to 15° baume before picking and cropped at a level of 3.5 tonnes per acre.

WINEMAKING

This wine was fermented using a selected yeast to enhance fruit definition and depth.  The skins were plunged and pumped over three times per day and the wine allowed to rest on skins for seven days to allow for maximum colour and flavour extraction.  After malolactic fermentation the wine was racked into selected French oak barriques and allowed to mature for 24 months before bottling.

TASTING NOTES

A very powerful wine in both aroma and palate structure. The aroma is characterized by black cherries and ripe plums, layered with aromas of spicy toasted oak, which gives great complexity. This complex aroma is carried over on the palate and further emphasized by the silky oak and fruit tannins. These deep tannins give the wine the length and persistence to be one of the best Merlots produced by Haan Wines since its creation in 1997.

To fully appreciate this wine, we recommend that it be decanted 3 to 4 hours before serving.

AGEING

While released with quite some readiness, there is no doubt that the Merlot Prestige will develop further with more bottle age. We expect it to show extremely well at around 8 to 10 years of age.

AWARDS

• The 2005 Haan Merlot Prestige was awarded 95 points in James Halliday's 2009 Wine Companion
• The 2005 Haan Merlot Prestige was awarded 91 points by Robert Parker in 2007
• The 2004 Haan Merlot Prestige was awarded 94 points in James Halliday’s 2008 Wine Companion
• The 2004 Haan Merlot Prestige was awarded 89-91 points by Robert Parker in 2006
• The 2003 Haan Merlot Prestige was awarded 91 points by Robert Parker in 2005
• The 2002 Haan Merlot Prestige was awarded a silver medal (Best in Class) - International Wine & Spirit Competition, London, 2005
• The 2002 Haan Merlot Prestige was awarded Top Merlot - "Divine Mayhem" Tasting, July 2005
• The 2002 Haan Merlot Prestige was awarded 92 points - Robert Parker Review, 2004
• The 2002 Haan Merlot Prestige was chosen for the Top 100 at the Sydney International Wine Competition 2005
• The 2000 Haan Merlot Prestige won a bronze medal at the 2002 Canberra Wine Show.
• The 1997 Haan Merlot Prestige won a gold medal and trophy at the 1999 Barossa Wine Show.
• The 1996 Haan Merlot Prestige won a gold medal at the 1998 Sydney International Wine Competition.

AVAILABLE

Merlot Prestige is available in 750 mL bottles in 6 and 12 bottle cartons, plus a limited number of magnums.