2017 Momento Grenache Noir
| Type of Wine | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Region | Swartland |
| Appellation | Swartland (Appellation) |
| Winery | |
| Vintage | 2017 |
| Grape | |
| Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (14%) |
| Drink window | 2019 - 2028 |
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: “ I bought my first parcel of Grenache Noir in 2011 to start my solo career with this brilliant yet understated grape as the core of my wine story. Looking back, I would not have chosen any differently. We have had some challenging weather conditions over the past 12 years, from drought and heat waves to floods. Grenache has shown its true character through tough times and has not once let me down. "
Grenache is particularly well suited to the dry, warm climate of South Africa, and Marelise Niemann's respectful vineyard practices and gentle grape processing result in beautifully balanced and elegant wines with a distinct personality. This particular Grenache is grown in the Paardeberg region, just outside the Swartland, sourced from low-yielding bush vines rooted in weathered granite and clay soils.
Tasting notes: The wine opens with a bright and lively bouquet of cherries, mulberries and especially raspberries, followed by savory aromas of rosemary and cloves. Reminiscent of Pinot Noir, it balances elegance and power with supple tannins and beautiful acidity.
Winemaking: Marelise adopts a gentle, minimal intervention approach to highlight the delicate and elegant nature of Grenache. After manual picking in the early morning, the bunches are destemmed in small fermentation tanks with 30% whole bunches. A four-day cold soak on the skins allows color and flavor to develop before natural fermentation begins. Manual punch-downs are performed twice daily for a gentle extraction, preserving the natural character of the grape. After a slow fermentation, an additional maceration of 10 days follows after fermentation to extract finer, softer tannins. After four weeks on the skins, the grapes are gently pressed with an old basket press in old Foudre for malolactic fermentation and ripening.
Specifications
| Type of Wine | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | South Africa |
| Region | Swartland |
| Appellation | Swartland (Appellation) |
| Winery | Momento |
| Grape | Grenache |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2017 |
| Drinking as of | 2019 |
| Drinking till | 2028 |
| Alcohol % | 14 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 92 |
| 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.