Stylish is the word! Brilliant pale straw colour with apple pie and spice on the nose. Lively and juicy with a mouthful of concentrated pear, honeydew melon and ripe mango flavors on a beautiful mineral structure and lip smacking acid backbone. The flavors linger with a spicy finish. Well-balanced and harmonious complexity for anytime enjoyment.
If ever there was a wine for all occasions this is it. Smooches up well to pork, oysters and smoked chicken dishes. Steer clear of heavily flavoured cheeses and rich cream sauces, but loves pasta dressed with olive oil and fresh herbs.
in the vineyard : This year will be remembered for the extreme dry weather conditions. The average temperature was generally slightly higher, peaking with a heat wave between véraison (the onset of ripening) and picking in January. February, normally the scorcher, brought very mild, moderate conditions, reminiscent of a more European climate. We came prepared for the dry conditions though, relying on the supplementary irrigation on our farm and being very grateful for our close proximity to the ocean that protected our vines. This resulted in wines with intense fruit flavours. We introduced new technology in the vineyard to pinpoint water need per vine per block. Not only has our water use dropped by nearly 50% in the ripening season, optimum irrigation also resulted in a bigger crop of high quality.
The De Grendel vineyards are situated 7 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean, growing on slopes 200 meters above sea level. We field-grafted a portion of Cabernet Sauvignon to Pinot Gris as we believe this variety can perform extremely well under cool, moderate growing conditions. With careful leave plucking at strategic times, we ensure an open cluster zone. This in turn ensures higher sugars and eventually a wine that has a bigger structure.
in the cellar : All fruit were pressed as whole bunches to prevent the release of colour pigments. Only 600L per ton was recovered. Three days of settling followed, racking and inoculation with selected yeast in stainless steel tanks and 20% in barrels that also underwent malolactic fermentation. These two portions were blended, then stabilized and bottled.All fruit was handpicked early morning, then whole bunch pressed so that no colour pigment was released. Only 600L per ton was recovered. Three days of settling followed, racking and inoculation with selected yeast in stainless steel tank and 20% in barrel that also underwent malolactic fermentation. These two portions were blended, then stabilized and bottled.