Jordan Black Magic Merlot

After Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot is the second most widespread red variety in the world. Originally from Libourne (southwest France), the origins lie in a crossbreeding of varieties from the 18th century, becoming one of the main Bordeaux varieties. Some sources say that the name of the Merlot, with its small blue berries, comes from the word “merle” (“blackbird” in French) due to the similarity of this birds plumage and the colour of the berries. Nowadays, Merlot grows in South Africa, where wines like Jordan Black Magic Merlot are produced, a red wine made by the Jordan winery within the Stellenbosch region, in the Coastal Region (in the Eastern Cape).

The Coastal Region is the beating heart of South Africa’s wine industry, home to half of the area’s vineyards. With almost three centuries of history, the vines here grow on a wide variety of soils ranging from light and sandy to decomposed granite. The latter is what we find around the Jordan winery, founded in 1982 by Ted and Sheelagh Jordan, where the vineyards, aged between 27 and 33 years old, grow between 160 and 410 metres above sea level, facing east-west and under a Mediterranean climate with maritime influences (due to its proximity to the sea 14 km away) and Benguela wind currents, which lower and soften the temperatures.

Today the business is still going, now in the hands of Gar Jordan (son of the founding couple) and his wife Kathy, who care for the 164 hectares the property is currently divided into. With this second generation, modernity and tradition go hand in hand in the winery, where the must is moved by gravity, respecting the final quality of the wines as much as possible. Jordan Black Magic Merlot ferments in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures between 26ºC-28ºC supplemented by three daily pump-overs. Once fermentation is complete, Jordan Black Magic Merlot is divided in two: one part stays macerating while the rest is pressed directly. From there, both batches are transferred to 225-litre French oak barrels (new and used), where they will rest for 18 months until bottling.

A South African wine in the purest Bordeaux style.