For those in the know, Plaisir de Merle Grand Plaisir has always been sold exclusively from the cellar-door until now. Crafted by cellar master Niel Bester from different varieties hand-selected from the top vineyards on the estate, only the best components and best barrels are chosen in the making of a wine worthy of the name Grand Plaisir. Released under an elegant new cream and gold label, only 500 cases of the 2007 vintage of Grand Plaisir are available in fine wine shops in South Africa.

At the long-awaited launch of the new 2007 vintage of Grand Plaisir at Plaisir de Merle in Simondium in mid-2010, Niel Bester led a tasting of the six component cultivars that make up the estate’s signature red blend. In a lesson in the art of winemaking, he demonstrated how each cultivar in this renowned wine plays a distinct role in shaping the colour, aroma and flavour of the final blend.

September/October 2010 Issue

Not for sale to persons under the age of 18.

For the rest of this article please subscribe or purchase the issue at various media outlets nationwide.