De Grendel shares their Pinot Gris 2012, award winner at Pinot Gris De Monde 2013

Monday, 20 May, 2013
De Grendel
De Grendel shares their Pinot Gris 2012, award winner at Pinot Gris De Monde 2013. De Grendel is the only wine producer from the Southern Hemisphere to win this coveted international  award, which forms part of Les Grands Concours du mond.
Enjoy the Pinot Noir 2010 which was only one of six to achieve the award for Top 100 SA Wines this winter, with venison, slow-cooked lamb and braised beef.
Pinot Gris 2012

2012 Vintage
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.

VINEYARDS
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.  

SOIL TYPE
Deep Hutton.

VINIFICATION
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="true"="true"="true"="true"="true" yeast in stainless steel tank and 20% in barrel that also underwent malolactic fermentation.  These two portions were blended, then stabilized and bottled.

TASTING NOTES
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.

FOOD COMPLEMENTS
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.

Pinot Noir 2010

2010 Vintage
The 2010 vintage will be remembered for the fact that the crop in general in the South African Wine Industry was substantially smaller compared to the five previous vintages. Some areas experienced a drop in yield of as much as 30%.  One of the main reasons is the gale force winds experienced in October during the flowering season. Having said all of this, at De Grendel, we experienced a yield of 30% bigger and the only logic behind that, is that we missed the worst of that wind during the flowering time.

VINEYARD
Benefiting from cool Atlantic breezes, De Grendel Pinot Noir vineyards are situated
7 kilometers from the ocean, reaching up to 350m above sea level. Sculptured by
the cool growing climate, the slow ripening fruit produces wines of consistently
distinctive character and expressive style. For the first time in the 2010 vintage we were using an amazing portion of Pinot Noir grapes from a family farm in Ceres – 950 meters in altitude. 


SOIL TYPE
Deep well drained shale. The Ceres Pinot Noir also grows on shale soils.

VINIFICATION
Only handpicked, hand sorted fruit was destalked and inoculated in a traditional
upright wooden cask. To ensure soft ripe tannins, the fermenting red wine was
transferred four times over the skincap for 1 hour periods. 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 a combination of new and older 225 litre French Oak barrels for a period of twelve months.

TASTING NOTES
This Pinot Noir has a light, bright red ruby hue and the nose is filled with luscious red cherry, blackberry and pine needle notes that carry through on the palate with a long velvety finish, balanced with well-structured freshness.


FOOD COMPLIMENTS
Hailed by some as the ultimate food-loving wine. Try it with herb-stuffed roast chicken to braised game bird, venison to veal, salmon, tender lamb or slow-cooked meat dishes.

AGEING POTENTIAL
5 years

WineLand

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Pinot Gris 2012
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