COLOUR: Vibrant, youthful, ruby red
NOSE: Sangiovese is a unique cultivar. Powerful flavors of every variety abound on this nose with cherry and raspberry, coffee, almond and vanilla undertones. Also prevalent are more subtle notes of rose petals and lavender, even some mint.
PALATE: Made to entice and envelop. There is an appealing fruit sweetness and a lingering freshness of cherry and dark prune. Tannins are well managed and soft, with a soft elegant acidityThis wine is made to suit a wide range of tastes and occasions. It could be an extraordinary everyday drink, or a pleasurable wine to share at an event of grandeur!
Morgenster Nu Series 1 Sangiovese 2015 (6/case) (R101/BOTTLE)
The NU (pronounced “new”) range of single varietal wines from Morgenster present a fresh, exuberantly fruity insight into what Schaapenberg vines can achieve.
As with all the NU wines, Sangiovese 2015 was made for every day enjoyment to suit a wide range of tastes, occasions and meals. With Sangiovese being the great Tuscan grape of Chianti, winemaker Henry Kotzé jokes that it is Morgenster’s version of Chianti - light, fresh, fruit driven … and great for lunch!
NU wines expose the heart of Morgenster winemaking which is to showcase the characteristics typical of the grape variety. They also give insights into the building blocks of Morgenster’s famed Bordeaux blends
and wines in the Estate’s Italian Collection.
According to winemaker Henry Kotzé who worked on this, his second Bordeaux harvest for the Estate, the increasing maturity of the vines - they vary in age from 7 to 18 years - facilitated his and the viticulturist’s efforts to bring the fruit to the specific ripeness he wanted.
Keeping with the philosophy behind Morgenster Lourens River Valley, he focused on letting the fruit do the talking and making the wine to be a true reflection of the terroir and what can best be achieved with it under any given vintage. The rounded silky tannins are already soft and velvety and the wine shows all the makings of being in it for the long run.
Food suggestions:
This wine is typically South African: friendly, inviting and accessible. Given the nature of South Africans, they like anything over a fire. So my ideal would be to pair it with roasted lamb cutlets and greens, or a lemon and herb chicken with mielie pap and smoor.
In The Vineyard:
In 2007 Morgenster started its replanting strategy by uprooting close to 50% of the then 40 ha of planted vineyard sites. This was based on a 12 year history of each vine, in line with owner Giulio Bertrand’s objective of having each vine producing Morgenster flagship quality. The Estate now has 5.5 ha of young bearing vines of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Between three and four years old, the vines have not yet reached the maturity levels required for inclusion in Morgenster's Bordeaux blends, yet they are already showing their pedigree and presenting luscious fruit and velvety tannins The 2012 vintage will be hailed as one of the best in the Schapenberg in the recent past.
In The Cellar:
Bertrand created the NU Series so consumers can experience the exuberant fruity wine style coming from these young vines in a single varietal format. Even though they were made to be enjoyed soon, they are still Morgenster wines with some typical traits you cannot get away from, one being the velvety soft tannins which broaden the palate weight and add an extra dimension to a very fruit driven experience. This palate weight will gain prominence as the vines mature and will be monitored very intently, eventually being the deciding factor as to when these vines will make the jump up to the star-studded Morgenster Bordeaux blend league. Fermentation in small stainless steel tanks with minimal extraction to allow for the pronounced fruit flavours in the wine. Directly after fermentation on skins the wine was transferred to old, small barriques for 6 - 8 months. The wine was bottled in the year of harvest.
Winemaker: Henry Kotze
Main Variety: Sangiovese
Style: Dry
Type: Red
Body: Medium
Taste: Fruity
Ageing Potential:
Even though these wines aren't produced to age for as long as Morgenster's flagship red, they will keep for 5 - 8 years. Made to enjoy young and fresh.
Blend Information:
100% Sangiovese