Lismore Estate Reserve Viognier, Greyton 2018
The Lismore Estate Reserve Viognier is a stylish Viognier with delicate notes of yellow peach, nectarine and fresh ginger. The rich and concentrated palate of this fantastic white wine is beautifully balanced by a refreshing mineral finish.
Producer Note - Californian Samantha O'Keefe has found paradise and the perfect terroir. Tucked into the foothills of a dramatic mountain range at the bottom of Africa, Lismore Estate Vineyards was born alongside her nascent family. A passionate vision, combined with vines planted at 300 metres, which are chilled by winter snow and nourished by the African summer sun, produces classic, cool climate wines which are rich, complex and lovingly hand-crafted.
Vintage - 2018 saw drought conditions, which limited incidences of pests or disease. The Lismore vines are dry farmed and with below average rainfall in the region, the microclimate of the Lismore vineyard, which is close to the mountain, came into its own and produced enough water to relieve the parched earth. Despite frost and snow at the beginning of spring, the vines rallied and produced good coverage for berry formation due to the subsequent warm, dry weather and sufficient water supply during flowering. Small berries were produced at harvest with excellent colour and flavour concentration.
Vineyard - Having pioneered a new extreme cool climate region in South Africa, Samantha chose to release an Estate Reserve range to illustrate what the vineyards are capable of. The wines are produced from very low yielding vines and taste like no others grown in South Africa. The vineyard is planted at 300 metres above sea level, in the foothills of the Sonderend Mountain Range. The vines are grown in decomposed shale over clay soils which contributes to the deep concentration in the wine. The vines are dry farmed. Low mean temperatures during February contribute to an extended ripening period, resulting in a harvest period which can be three to four weeks later than traditional wine growing regions in South Africa. The intense citrus notes and the lingering finish are consistent trademarks of Lismore's specific terroir.
Winemaking - Vinified using minimal intervention, allowing the wine showcase this special terroir. The grapes were whole bunch pressed, slowly extracting the juice at a rate of 600 litres per tonne. The juice was cold settled for 48 hours and then racked into 225 and 500 litre Burgundian barrels of which 30% were new, for spontaneous and natural fermentation and 18 months' maturation. Balance was the key to this wine.
Tasting Note - The Lismore Estate Reserve Viognier has always stood out as something special. The expression is dried apricot and fresh ginger with hints of honeysuckle through to a concentrated palate with fresh, clean acidity which supports the extravagance of the palate.
Grape: Viognier 100%
Winemaker: Samantha O'Keefe
Region: Western Cape
Sub region: Greyton
Country: South Africa
Alcohol: 13%
Dry/Sweet value: 2 (1 is dry, 7 is very sweet)
Residual Sugar: 4.4
Contains Sulphites: Yes
Vegetarian/Vegan: Yes/No
Milk/Eggs: No/No
Organic: No
Biodynamic: NoThe technical information on this wine is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. This information may be subject to change according to vintage
