2018 Momento Grenache Gris
| Type of Wine | |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Region | Swartland |
| Appellation | Swartland (Appellation) |
| Winery | |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Grape | |
| Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (13%) |
| Drink window | 2020 - 2027 |
Description
Marelise Niemann is known for her wines of purity, elegance and honesty, working with old vines in both Bot River and the Swartland. She uses a minimal intervention approach that focuses on the terroir. Marelise says: “My drive for Grenache has led me to find the one and only vineyard of Grenache Gris planted in South Africa.”
Grenache Gris, the rosé-colored cousin of Grenache Blanc, has copper-colored skins. This variety produces wines that are darker, deeper in flavor and show more tension compared to Blanc. Grown in the Voor-Paardeberg region, just outside the Swartland, the vineyard's weathered granite and clay soils contribute to the fine texture and rich flavor of the wine.
Tasting notes: This exotic and seductive wine presents ripe yellow fruits, almond and pineapple on the palate, complemented by a savory, spicy touch. The tension between fresh primary fruit and crisp acidity balances a rich, waxy mouthfeel.
Winemaking: Marelise experimented with skin contact by soaking the crushed grapes on their skins for seven days before pressing and transferring them to older French oak barrels. Natural fermentation took place and the wine spent a total of 10 months on coarse lees.
Specifications
| Type of Wine | White |
|---|---|
| Country | South Africa |
| Region | Swartland |
| Appellation | Swartland (Appellation) |
| Winery | Momento |
| Grape | Grenache Gris |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Drinking as of | 2020 |
| Drinking till | 2027 |
| Alcohol % | 13 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Tasting Profiles | Aromatic, Floral, Dry, Aged on wood, Powerful, Spicy, Rich, Round, Full, White fruit |
| Drink moments | Barbecue, Cadeau!, Lekker luxe, Met vrienden, Open haard |
Wijnhuis
Momento began in 2013 while Marelise Niemann was the winemaker at Beaumont Family Wines in Bot River. She has since become known for wines of purity, elegance and honesty, working with old vines in both Bot River and the Swartland - with a minimal intervention approach, putting terroir front and centre.
Her first vintage of Momento was two barrels of Grenache Noir, and since then her love for Grenache Noir has only grown. She now works with all three Grenache varieties, having added Grenache Blanc to the repertoire in 2019.
Now based at Anysbos, the farm next door to Gabrielskloof - where she spent four years alongside Crystallum and Thorne & Daughters - Marelise is becoming increasingly known as the champion of the variety.
The Grenache Noir and Gris have become critically acclaimed and prized examples over the past few vintages, as has the outlier of the range, a Tinta Barocca made in a style more like Pinot Noir.
Marelise’s fascination with Grenache all started after her time in the Priorat region in Spain, where, along with Eben Sadie, she was inspired by how the old vine fruit was used to make wine in a fresh and vibrant way. She returned to South Africa, determined to seek out old vine Grenache.
Marelise is passionate about working with grape varieties that are well suited to South Africa’s climate. That means vineyards that can handle low rainfall and high temperatures; that naturally fit in with the environment and don’t need excessive energy input. Chenin, Verdelho, the Grenaches and Tinta, all flourish in dry, warm conditions.