Vondeling Barrel Selection Merlot 2022

The ProducerVondeling is a single-estate winery on the Voor-Paardeberg, a granite-dominated massif northeast of Paarl. Cooled by southerly Atlantic winds funnelling through the Paardeberg, the estate sits at one of the Cape’s most distinctive addresses for structured, terroir-expressive reds — far from the tourist trail and focused entirely on the vineyard.Vineyard & TerroirThe Barrel Selection Merlot 2022 comes exclusively from the Spice Block — a steep, Southwest-facing slope of predominantly granite, with traces of gravel and clay that add texture and depth. The vines are approaching twenty years of age. Moderate crop loads keep concentration high; fruit is hand-picked and sorted to remove any green material before it reaches the cellar.In the CellarGrapes arrive pre-chilled and are gently destemmed before a two-day cold soak. A combination of whole and crushed berries enters open-top fermenters, where natural fermentation begins slowly and hand plunging encourages careful, unhurried tannin extraction. After fermentation, the wine rests on its skins for an additional week — extended maceration that weaves the wine’s components into greater harmony. The free-run is drained to 300-litre French oak barrels and the skins are pressed in a traditional wooden basket press. Malolactic fermentation completes in barrel, after which the wine is racked and returned to oak for a minimum of one full year. Total barrel time: 18 months. The wine then rests briefly in bottle before release.Tasting NotesDeep, ruby-red in the glass. The nose is engaging: raspberry, red cherry, and a subtle hint of oyster shell salinity alongside tea leaf and tobacco. The palate is fresh and sublime — cigar box, vanilla, and hints of smoky oak carried through by exceptionally fine tannins to an elegant, long, lingering finish. Drink through 2029. Rated 91/100 — Tim Atkin South Africa Special Report, 2025 (timatkin.com). Awarded Platter’s Guide 4.5 Stars, 2025 (platters.com) and featured in the Taransaud Hallo Merlot Top 10, 2025 (hallomerlot.co.za).Food PairingPairs wonderfully with tomato-based pasta, Tandoori chicken, and barbecued lamb chops.