Merlot “Foundstone” 2022 – Berton Vineyard

The parcels of fruit used to produce the Merlot Foundstone Berton Vineyard were fermented in stainless steel vertical fermenters at temperatures of 26 to 30°C with the influence of premium French toasted and untoasted oak. Fermentation lasted four to six days before being pressed at 1° Baume and was left to ferment through to dryness. The wine went through malolactic fermentation resulting in a softer expression and was then clarified.

The age of the vines is varied. The vines are planted approximately 1.8 metres apart with 3.6 metres between the rows to allow machinery access. All vines have been spur pruned and are trellised on a single wire cordon. The loam to clay-loam soils have moderate to high fertility.

Established by Bob and Cherie Berton in May 1996, Berton Vineyard is one of the most important wine producers in Australia. The estate covers 30 hectares of land located on gently rolling hills at 450 metres above sea level, in a subregion 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 20,000 tonnes and enables Berton Vineyard to produce value for money wines which sit alongside their premium single-vineyard offerings.