Berton Vineyards Foundstone Merlot 2020
Established by Bob & Cherie Berton in May 1996 with 75 acres of land at 450m above sea level on gently rolling hills in a sub-region of Eden Valley in South Australia. The superb Reserve Shiraz and Reserve Chardonnay wines are still sourced from this plot. In 2007 Bob purchased the Yenda winery in the heart of the Riverina. This state of the art facility has the capacity to process 10,000 tonnes and allows Berton Vineyards to produce value for money wines that sit alongside his premium single-vineyard offerings.
Vinification
All Grapes are machine harvested and tested for ripeness which is aimed at 14-14.5 baume. The cropping level is around 6-7 tonnes/acre with a mixture of morning and day harvest. Grapes are then crushed and inoculated with selected yeast strains. The fermentation is carried out at 25-28 degrees and a rack and return is carried out every 3 hours. When the ferment is dry the wine is then pressed off skins and transferred to a stainless steel tank and oaked using planks. After sufficient time on oak, the wine is filtered and blended and prepared for bottling.
Viticulture
All vines have been spur pruned. Vine age is varied. Vines are planted roughly 1.8m apart with 3.6m between the rows to allow machinery access. The trellis system is generally a single wire cordon.
Tasting Note
Foundstone Merlot displays violets and smoky oak on the nose with a rich mouthfeel that leads to lovely soft, raspberry, vanilla and liquorice on the palate. Fine soft tannins complement the berry flavours resulting in a pleasantly long finish.
Everyday Serving Suggestion
Perfect with flame-seared beef or rich tomato-based dishes!
Country / Region / Appellation
AU / S.E. Australia / S.E. Australia
Winemaker
James Ceccato & Tim Perrin
Additional Resources:
http://www.bertonvineyards.com.au/