Viognier Estate Reserve 2021 – Lismore

Viognier Estate Reserve Lismore is vinified using minimal intervention, allowing the wine showcase this special terroir. The grapes to produce Viognier Estate Reserve Lismore 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.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.In Lismore Estate Vineyards the Californian Samantha O’Keefe has found paradise and the perfect terroir. Hidden at the foot of a spectacular mountain range in the lower part of Africa, Lismore Estate Vineyards was born next to its nascent family. A passionate vision, combined with vines planted at 300 meters, cooled by winter snow and fed by the African summer sun, produces classic wines, with a fresh climate, rich, complex and handcrafted.