Swiss owned Stellenbosch Estate, Eikendal, renowned for its
elegant wines that impress with great fruit purity and finesse, has released
the latest vintages of its two flagship
wines – the Bordeaux-style red blend Classique 2013
and wooded Chardonnay 2014.
“Eikendal has been producing more than passable quality wines over
the past three decades, but this polished duo captures the true essence of what
Eikendal is today. Understated Elegance.
Gone are the ‘weighty wine’ days as we now go in pursuit of a tighter
and fresher profile. The passion that goes into producing our wines is
profound, not to mention the detail and science,” shares Eikendal cellarmaster
Nico Grobler.
The charmingly reserved Classique is a wine gaining in
reputation all the time with the 2012 vintage scoring 92 points in British
Master of Wine, Tim Atkin’s 2015 South African Wine Report.
It is also rated 4 ½ stars in the current Platter’s edition;
scooped Double Gold at the 2014 Six Nations Wine Challenge; made last year’s
Top 100 SA Wines, and clinched Gold status at the 2014 Expovina wine fair in
Zurich, to name a few.
“Our newly released 2013 Classique vintage seems set for greatness
too. It combines mature fruit with elegance, with the first achieved in the
vineyards and the second in the cellar,” explains Nico.
Eikendal
maximises its perfect location on the foot of the Helderberg and its proximity
to False Bay to produce great wines. The red varieties in particular, benefit
from the cool maritime conditions which allow slower optimal ripening of the
grapes.
The Eikendal Classique 2013 is a seamless blend of 47% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, which was matured for 18 months
in French oak barrels, 60% new. It shows perfectly delineated red and black
fruit, seductive oak spice, fresh acidity and fine tannins due to careful
extraction and the judicious use of oak.
It is a medium bodied, smooth textured, yet compelling red blend
that underlines Nico’s understanding of grape ripeness. If cellared correctly,
it can easily be kept for up to 25 years.
“It
is not your typical, wood chewing robust red. It whispers soft nuances rather
than shouts bold flavours, yet the wine speaks for itself,” adds Nico.
Nico’s comprehension of grape ripeness also comes to the fore in
the estate’s Chardonnay. Since his maiden 2009 vintage, it features
multiple pickings ranging from quite green (19.5°Balling) for freshness and
acidity to full ripeness (23°Balling) for structure and richness.
This picking method paid off yet again with the latest 2014
vintage showing a linear palate packed with citrus blossom freshness and a
tight mineral core, offset by rich nuances of ripe pear, honeysuckle, orange
peel and Golden Delicious apple. The wine ends with a creamy, fruity finish of
substantial length which underlines superb ageing potential of up to ten years.
“Our aim was to create a refined Chardonnay of freshness and
elegance with strong regional and varietal integrity, but without overripe or
overbearing flavours. Our Chardonnay 2014 is one of the lighter, more elegant
premium examples of the variety around. It is a wine which is worthy of
contemplation but goes down all too easily,” shares Nico.
The Eikendal Chardonnay 2013 exudes a subtle oak character without
compromising the fresh taste profile and steely elegance of the wine due to
careful maturation in custom-made 500L French oak barrels (15% new) for 12
months.
The
Eikendal Classique 2013 retails from R223 a bottle and the Eikendal Chardonnay
2014 from R127 per bottle, at selected fine wine outlets and restaurants
countrywide or get yours directly from the cellar. For more information or wine
orders, contact Eikendal at Tel: (+27)21 855 1422 or email orders@eikendal.co.za.