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DE
GRENDEL WINES
Epitome
of Grace
  
A
first impression of the vast De Grendel Estate in the Tygerberg
Hills, which overlooks Table Mountain in the hazy distance, are the
spreading vineyards framed by boundless exquisite vistas.
Owned
by the Graaff family, the farm was bought in 1875 and the first wines
bottled in 2004. Sir David Graaff, the son of the late Sir de Villiers
Graaff and the fourth generation on the property, began the huge
transformation to a wine estate in 2000.
Charles
Hopkins, Cellarmaster, formally of Graham Beck, together with his team, is delighted with their progress at De Grendel. The superb six hundred
ton practical and aesthetically designed cellar saw in the 2006
harvest.
The De Grendel vineyards are situated 7 kilometers from the
Atlantic Ocean, growing on slopes 200 meters above sea level.
DE
GRENDEL
SAUVIGNON BLANC 2007
The 2007 vintage taught us patience. In the South African Wine Industry, this year will
be remembered for
the incredible heat wave that occurred during the first week in February.
Due to our close proximity to the
Atlantic ocean and the prevailing winds
that have a cooling down effect, the heat wave played a minor role on the
2007 De Grendel vintage.
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VINEYARDS:
Crop yields
on Sauvignon Blanc is ± 7.5 tons per hectare.
SOIL
TYPE: Well drained decomposed shale.
VINIFICATION:
Satellite images were used to classify the vineyards
according to growing patterns. Picking
times were established based on analysis, phenolic ripeness and flavour
compositions. Nine lots were
vinified individually and blended afterwards to ensure complexity and
depth.
All fruit
was handpicked in the early morning and received
skin contact according to ripeness and chemical compositions. Only 600L
per ton was recovered. Three days of settling, racking and inoculation
with selected yeast cultures followed. Fermentation lasted 22 days at ±13°C and 100 days of full lees contact followed to ensure richness and a
rounder mouth feel.
TASTING NOTES:
Clear and shiny colour – the nose is very open and crisp
with fruity and typical herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc aromas. Very refreshing
palate with a great acidity and lingering finish. This wine shows
minerality, typical of the Durbanville region.
IDEAL
WITH:
Summer dishes like haloumi salad, smoked salmon salad with lemon vinaigrette, grilled fish or seafood with tomato and herb salsa.
ANALYSIS:
Residual Sugar:
0.5 g/l
pH:
3.33
Total Acidity: 6.39 g/l
Alcohol: 13.36%
AGEING POTENTIAL:
Up to 2 Years.
DE GRENDEL
WINIFRED 2007
The
Winifred is named for David Graaff's wife, Sally. A graceful wine
with elegant flavours and a particularly captivating bouquet. The
scents of vanilla and touches of summer fruits make this wine a sheer delight.
VINEYARDS:
Crop levels
of the three vineyards vary from 2 - 6 tons per hectare.
SOIL
TYPE: The Semillon vineyard is situated on well drained broken
scale and the Viognier and Chardonnay vineyards on gravel yellow clay at a
depth of 1, 5m
VINIFICATION:
A more oxidative approach of wine making method is used. The
three lots were vinified separately. The Semillon was only tank fermented with
very little skin contact. The 20% Semillon add a tropical, citrus fruit
aroma with more acidity and lower alcohol.
The Chardonnay and the Viognier were fermented in new French
oak and underwent malolactic fermentation in the barrel. The two lots stayed
in oak for ± 120 days on full lees.
The final blend was made following many pre-cylinder blends
to get to the acquired goal of fine balance of fruit, mouth feel, length
and finish.
TASTING NOTES:
Blend: Semillon
20%: Citrus, tropical, low alcohol, acidity. Chardonnay 42%: Buttery, ripe citrus, broadness, structure.
Viognier 38%: Apricot,
peaches, mouth feel, alcohol.
IDEAL
WITH: Rich in
flavour and texture, this is a wine for all occasions. Avocado salad with roasted flaked almonds and crispy pancetta. Grilled or pan-fried fish with cream based sauces or olive oil dressing.
All the white meats and seafood.
ANALYSIS:
Residual Sugar:
1.6 g/l
pH:
3.35
Total Acidity: 6.05 g/l
Alcohol: 13.7%
AGEING POTENTIAL:
3 Years.
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DE
GRENDEL
MERLOT
2006
"Our
first vintage in the cellar caused great excitement
and to top it all, we created a wonderful red wine," says Charles
Hopkins.
A
warm and lingering wine with a rich bouquet. Mulberry, raspberry and blackberry fruit accompanied by
hints of liquorice
and mocha flavours that carry through on to the palate. Well supported by firm
French oak tannins.
VINEYARDS:
The
vines are 5-8 years old and yield crops of 5-7 tons per hectare (off 2300
vines).
SOIL
TYPE: Hutton – Oak leaf
VINIFICATION:
Only handpicked fruit was destalked
and inoculated in an upright stainless steel tank. To ensure soft ripe tannins, the fermenting red was
transferred four times over the skin cap for periods lasting 1 hour each.
This method is called aerated pump over.
After sufficient extraction, a
pneumatic press was used to press the skins at 0.9 Bar. Three rackings
ensured good clarity. Maturation took place in French Oak for a period of
thirteen months.
TASTING NOTES:
A full bodied wine filled with a
combination of different berries on the nose.
IDEAL
WITH: Red meat
dishes such as grilled lamb chops or venison with full bodied red wine sauces.
ANALYSIS:
Residual Sugar:
2.58 g/l
pH:
3.59
Total Acidity: 5.80
g/l
Alcohol: 14.5%
AGEING POTENTIAL:
5 Years.
DE
GRENDEL
SHIRAZ
2006
This 2006 Shiraz shows
the spiciness of coriander, the scents of lavender with a hint of white
pepper, as well as notes of red berries on the nose.
This
full structured
wine is well supported by oak undertones and sweet ripe tannins.
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VINEYARDS:
The vines are 6-9 years old and yield crops of 5-7 tons per hectare
(off 2300 vines).
SOIL
TYPE: Glenrosa
VINIFICATION:
The fruit was handpicked in mid March, with
vinification consisting of two separate methods of open tank fermentation:
The submerged cap method was used on the first portion
of the Shiraz harvest intake, ensuring deep colour, softer tannins and
spicy flavours. The remaining fruit was picked 2-3 days later, and
vinified using a pneumatic punch down method.
The fermenting cap was punched down four times a day,
resulting in more robust tannins as well as excellent structure and
concentration. The product was blended and put through natural malolactic
fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Three rackings took place.
The wine was matured in 1/3 new
American Oak, 1/3 new French Oak and 1/3
in 2nd and 3rd fill French Oak barrels for 13
months.
IDEAL
WITH: Pasta
or pizza with tomato base, robust cheeses, chorizo sausage or salami. Red
meat dishes such as venison, roast beef and rack of lamb.
ANALYSIS:
Residual Sugar:
3.2 g/l
pH:
3.65
Total Acidity: 5.80 g/l
Alcohol: 14.5%
AGEING POTENTIAL:
10 Years.
DE GRENDEL
ROSÉ 2007
De
Grendel Rosé has a brilliant strawberry pink hue with aromas of red berries, ripe strawberries and fragrant watermelons.
A
very soft natural acidity, a friendly wine that marries well with light
summery dishes. Well chilled De Grendel Rosé is an enchanting wine for
entertaining.
SOIL
TYPE: Well drained broken shale.
VINIFICATION:
Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon and
Cabernet Franc were handpicked at 22 - 23°B, destalked and kept in
contact with the skins for 6 hours. Skins
were pressed, juice settled overnight, racked and fermented at 16°C for
15 days, followed by stabilization in winter and bottled.
ANALYSIS:
Residual Sugar:
1.08 g/l
pH:
3.5
Total Acidity: 5.80 g/l
Alcohol: 13.5%
AGEING POTENTIAL:
Enjoy now.
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FOOD,
WINE & FLOWERS
LA
RESIDENCE At Play
Righard
Theron | Sales Manager
righard@degrendel.co.za
http://www.degrendel.co.za
P. O. Box 15282, Panorama, 7506
Tel: +27 (0)21 558-6280 / 558-2905
Fax: +27 (0)21 558-7083
Cell: +27 (0)82 777-1233
A
SHOWCOOK.COM PRODUCTION
Photography by Franz Lauinger
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