De Grendel Viognier 2021
De Grendel Wine Estate is on the upper slopes of the Tygerberg Hills facing West to Table Bay and South to Table Mountain. The Estate, which is in the Durbanville Wine Appellation, has its Viognier Vineyards planted high on the hill in decomposed blue broken shale soils, with some of the trellised vines planted in gravel with and underlay of clay.
Viognier, ripenug on the vine
One of the interesting aspects of Viognier, is that the berries start to shrivel as the grapes reach ideal ripeness. Cellar Master Carles Hopkins watches very carefully for the perfect picking moment. At this time, they are hand harvested and then taken to the cellar where the bunches are destemmed, and the grapes crushed. 70% of the juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks, while the balance goes into Romanian Oak Barrels for fermentation and then 90 days of barrel ageing before being blended into the tank component and the wine is prepared for bottling.
Charles Hopkins, De Grendel Founding Winemaker
Pour
From a Burgundy shaped bottle, closed with a screw cap. The label is simple, and elegant. In the glass, the wine is a beautiful lemony hay colour with youthful lime green flashes when held up to the light. One thing that I love about Viognier, it is not shy, either with its aromas or the palate. The aromas to me almost always begin with soft dried Turkish apricots backed up by yellow cling peaches, white and purple flowers, and spice. The palate is rich and generous though medium of body. The wonderful fruit of the nose is repeated on the palate. A truly impressive glass, and wonderfully ’different.’
Pickled Fish from my recently published Friends. Food. Flavour.
Pair
The De Grendel Viognier 2021 is a good sipping wine if you want to get into something different. It segues into a meal and would do well with a spicy Chicken Tagine with Apricots.
It is perfect with Pickled Fish, that traditional Cape Easter dish. Click HERE for my recipe. This page has a photograph by Jane Anne Hobbs.
Listen to my podcast about the De Grendel Viognier 2021, click on the arrow.
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