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.
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,” Nico explains.
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 +27 (0)21 855 1422 or email orders@eikendal.co.za.
