It is International Merlot Day on 7th November, so raise a toast to this popular noble grape, the hands-down crowd-pleaser of the wine world. There’s so much to love about Merlot, with its generous juicy dark and red fruits, soft, sensual, velvety texture and approachable style. Merlot also happens to be one of the most food-friendly wines on the market and ages excellently.

Muratie invites you to celebrate #MerlotDay sipping on history, exploring the many delights of the Muratie Alberta Annemarie Merlot 2018, honouring one of the original female pioneers in the wine industry who helped mould Muratie as we know it today.

Alberta Annemarie Canitz

MURATIE ALBERTA ANNEMARIE MERLOT 2018

Winemaker’s Comments: Handpicked from two low-yielding (5 tons per hectare) dryland vineyard blocks planted in 1990 and 2003 at 280m above sea level, the grapes were crushed, destalked and pumped into traditional concrete open fermenters and matured in French oak barrels for 16 months.

Redolent of lusciously ripe plums in its youth, this wine has complex layers of dark cherries, cocoa, cinnamon and toasted hazelnut that come to the fore over time. Its appealing sweetness and full-bodied richness are balanced by fresh acidity and a pinch of mixed herbs. Made in a soft and approachable style for early enjoyment, it nonetheless has enough backbone and plenty of length on the smooth finish to age well for another 5 years.

The Story:

“As is our motto at Muratie, all our wines are named after the remarkablepersonalities from our rich, centuries-old heritage. When you sip on our wines you are tasting history for yourself,” . “Our Merlot honours Alberta Annemarie Canitz (fondly known as Annemie), a feisty pioneer who became one of the first female wine farm owners in the country. “

says Rijk Melck

It all began in1926 when she and her father, famous German artist and bon vivant George Paul Canitz, were out horseback riding and quite by chance discovered Muratie. They both fell instantly in love with the charm of the place and bought it, making it their mission to renovate and replant the old farm and restore it to its former grandeur. After her father died in 1958, she inherited the farm which she ran on her own for almost 30 years. She continued to make wine and ride her horse well into her 80s, eventually only stopping, she insisted, ‘because the horse is too old.’ Fiercely protective of Muratie’s legacy, she honoured the estate with love and passion, keeping everything exactly the way it was in her father’s time – the cellar, the manor house, the art studio he built from bricks made on the farm, and his famous ‘kneipzimmer’ (drinking den) – everything is still very much the same today. At the advanced age of 87 and having no descendants, she was looking for a suitable successor, and no one was more perfect than Ronnie Melck. A direct descendant of the legendary Martin Melck (who together with his descendants, owned Muratie for 134 years), Ronnie had nurtured a 30-year-long dream of returning Muratie to the Melck fold. The sale was sealed with a promise that Ronnie would keep Muratie exactly as it was at the time. Thanks to the Melck family’s passionate guardianship, this memorable legacy lives on at Muratie, where time has largely stood still, where the unique old-world ambience is almost tangible.

Purchase: The Muratie Alberta Annemarie Merlot 2018is available at the estate, online athttps://www.muratie.co.za/wine/buy-wine/ and at select fine wine merchants around the country.

Approximate retail price: R200

A VISIT TO MURATIE

Muratie tasting room exterior

Muratie‘s rich heritage is reason enough to pay a visit to this historic farm, but there’s also an abundance of events and activities at the estate that keep visitors returning:

Wine tasting and wine and chocolate pairings in the enchanting tasting room

Authentic farm breakfasts and lunches at the Muratie Farm Kitchen

Wine, food and music festivals for the whole family

Amazing trails/events for mountain biking, trail running and hiking

Exhibitions of contemporary art and culture at the MOK Gallery located in Ansela van de Caab‘s house

Accommodation in George Paul Canitz‘s original art studio

Event curation in an exquisite marquee with panoramic views, or on Muratie‘s verdant terraces beneath the ancient oak trees. The Muratie Canvas offers a stylish blank slate to create the event of a lifetime.

SIP ON MURATIE WINES AND TASTE HISTORY FOR YOURSELF

Knorhoek Road, Stellenbosch · www.muratie.co.za · 021 865 2330 · info@muratie.co.za