De Grendel Brut - Method Cap Classique 2008

Fresh apple flavours and sweet tropical fruit backed by some biscuit richness. The fruit weight fills out the mid-palate and the mineral crispness ensures a well balanced wine with substantial length.

A perfect fit for luxury foods: Oysters (think Oysters Rockefeller) and foie gras, especially when flavoured with truffle shavings or truffle oil. Loves fine smoked fish, especially smoked salmon. Deserving a touch of extravagance, De Grendel Brut is an excellent companion for gently-flavoured types of caviar such as beluga. Brilliant with most Chinese and Thai dishes, it is fantastic with Japanese sushi, sashimi or other raw-fish dishes.

variety : Chardonnay [ 60% Chardonnay; 40% Pinot Noir ]

winery : De Grendel Wines

winemaker : Charles Hopkins & Elzette du Preez

wine of origin :

analysis : alc : 12.5 % vol rs : 7 g/l pH : 3.16 ta : 7.8 g/l

type : Sparkling

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

ageing : Enjoy now or keep for another two years.

in the vineyard : 2008 Vintage
This is a harvest that will long be remembered by the South African wine industry for the three consecutive rain showers during the first stage of ripening, towards the end of January. Luckily the South-Easter saved the day, drying our vineyards after every rain shower and preventing rot.

in the cellar : Vinification
De Grendel Brut 2008 – our second vintage - follows on the success of the 2007 maiden vintage which was sold out within 3 months.

This wine is once again a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir. The grapes were whole bunch pressed (to ensure a very elegant wine); the juice settled and racked to another tank where we inoculated with yeast. Once fermentation finished the base wine was filtered and then bottled on the 26th of June 2008 with the tirage (yeast and sugar mix) for the second fermentation to take part in the bottle - in the true Method Cap Classique manner.

The wine spent 15 months on the lees in the bottle to mature and to ensure a complex wine with a combination of fruit and biscuit flavours, before it was riddled and degorged.

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OTHER VINTAGES

De Grendel Brut - Method Cap Classique 2008

Chardonnay

Charles Hopkins & Elzette du Preez