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Lourens Family Wines

2021

‘Lua Ilse’

Grenache Noir   |   Piekenierskloof - South Africa
Shelf Talker Spec Sheet Wine Label Bottle Image

About

In 2019, Franco was notified that this small, bushvine vineyard had some fruit available from a friend, Xander Grier.  This block is on the drive back down to the valley from the site where Franco gets a bit of Chenin for his single-vineyard bottling. This third release, named after his daughter Lua Ilse, continues to be a showstopper. It is one of the most distinguished and singular Grenaches produced in South Africa and in many ways becomes a beacon for others to seek out in terms of its elegance and moreish qualities.

The grapes were hand-harvested and lugged back to the cellar in small picking bins. About 75% of the fruit was destemmed but not crushed with the remaining portion left fully intact. Fermentation occurred without any additions in open top one-ton fermenters with the whole clusters placed atop the destemmed fruit. Franco hang plunged the wine a few times daily for the first four days to get the ferment active. After nearly two weeks on skins the wine was gently pressed to two old 300L French tonneau for aging. After ten months the wine was racked to tank to settle overnight and bottled without fining  just a coarse filtration and small sulfur addition.

Stats

  • Grapes: 100% Grenache Noir
  • Vineyard: Single site in Piekenierskloof
  • Vine Age: 17-years-old
  • Soil Type: Sandstone & pebbly clay
  • Viticulture: Practicing Organic – dry-farmed
  • Fermentation: Native – stainless steel (25% whole-cluster)
  • Skin Contact: 14 days
  • Aging: 10 months in neutral 300L French barrels
  • Alcohol: 14%
  • pH: 3.6
  • Total Acidity: 4.7 g/L
  • Total SO2: 52 ppm
  • Total Production: 100 cases
  • UPC: 0781718583190

Tasting Note

The perfume is truly intoxicating, with succulent strawberry and raspberry notes converging with more piquant cranberry fruits. It’s an intense yet light wine that is wrapped in pure finesse and sandpaper-like tannins.

Press & Reviews

Platter's Guide

94

"Elegant, silky & savoury 2021 grenache noir is very easy to like. Strawberry lightly dusted with confectionery sugar plus attractive white pepper lift, nicely balanced acidity. From dryland bushvines."

- Cathy van Zyl

Tim Atkin, MW

95

"Striding confidently into its third vintage, this is a Piekenierskloof Grenache from a 15-year- old vineyard that wouldn’t look out of place in the Spanish Gredos region. Subtle and refined, with succulent pomegranate and redcurrant fruit, savoury tannins, a hint oak spice and impressive underlying concentration. 2023-29."

- Tim Atkin, MW

The WineMag

95

"Grapes from a Piekenierskloof approximately 20 years old. Matured for 10 months in older 500-litre barrels. Pomegranate, red and black berries, fynbos, earth and spice on the nose while the palate has a particular harmony about it with good depth of fruit (alcohol: 14%), fresh acidity and fine tannins."

- Christian Eedes
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Producer


Lourens Family Wines

Region


Piekenierskloof

Country


South Africa

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