Lismore The Age of Grace Viognier, Cape South Coast

Producer Note

Samantha O'Keefe left California with dreams of starting a family and finding paradise. 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.

Vineyard

This Viognier is a reflection of Samantha's obsession with how the special soil, climate and a mysterious sense of place come together to produce an extraordinary wine that tells you its story. The vines are grown on rose-quartz soils in Elgin, which is a cool, high altitude plateau. The region offers a lengthened ripening period which brings the grapes late into season - often three to four weeks later than traditional wine growing areas in South Africa. This provides the opportunity to develop deep complexity and concentration.

Winemaking

The grapes were picked and whole bunch pressed, slowly extracting the juice at a rate of 550 litres per tonne. The juice was settled for 48 hours and was racked into 225 litre Burgundian barrels, which had been used previously, for barrel fermentation and maturation. The wine was left on the lees for nine months with regular "bâttonage" or lees stirring, for the first two months. Balance is the key to this wine. Viognier is an aromatic and generous varietal, it benefits from barrel maturation and lees contact with a fuller mouthfeel and increased texture. This, combined with the firm acid backbone and intense fruit will allow this wine to integrate beautifully and gain further complexity over the next three to five years.

Tasting Note

This expressive Viognier seduces you with the beautiful perfume of honeysuckle and orange blossom and a textured palate of apricot, kiwi and pineapple. A sensual and exotic experience.

Serving Suggestion

Asian inspired cuisine; lamb tagines with apricots; or rich shellfish dishes such as seared scallops or grilled lobster.

Grape

Viognier 100%