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Furnishings & DecorLOMOND’S WHITE BLEND DEBUTS WITH GOLD MEDAL
Lomond, located just 8 km from the sea at Gansbaai as the crow flies and widely acclaimed for its single-vineyard Sauvignon blancs, is now turning heads with its debut white blend, the 2007 Snowbush that will make its appearance at this year’s Nederburg Auction in on September.
The appeal of the new wine, which recently earned gold at the International Wine Challenge in London, lies in its vibrant, grassy and capsicum intensity that has been offset by a rich and creamy depth, believes winemaker Kobus Gerber.
He has combined Sauvignon blanc, sourced from both the farm’s Sugarbush and Pincushion vineyards, to provide mineral, green and tropical flavours, with Nouvelle, which has amplified the Sauvignon’s zesty freshness and then tempered it with the soft, full and rounded qualities lent by barrel-matured Semillon.
The Nouvelle, indigenous to South Africa and created by crossing Ugni blanc with Crouchen blanc, has created the bridge between the other two varietals, he says. “While in many respects it mirrors the crisp, green flavours found in Sauvignon blanc, some of its qualities are more akin to the Semillon component we have used.”
Sauvignon blanc represents 50% of the blend, with Semillon contributing 27% and Nouvelle, 23%.
Tangy and fresh but with sufficient palate weight and complexity to create a sense of completion, its gooseberry and herb notes are complemented on the aroma and taste by ripe fig, apricot and citrus. “There is also a most intriguing and attractive layer of lavender that comes from the Sauvignon blanc. We have never encountered it before but it adds a lovely dimension.”
All the grapes were hand-harvested. Individually vinified, each blending component was left on the lees to enrich the depth of flavour and creamy texture.
“This is the first competition in which our maiden vintage of the Snowbush has been entered and we are very encouraged by the response. South Africa has become internationally acknowledged for the capacity to produce Sauvignon blancs that fall somewhere between the French Sancerres and the very fruit-forward expression found in many New Zealand examples of this varietal. Now the country is building a profile for the characterful complexity of our white blends. I hope the Snowbush will add interest to the dynamic new category.”
Tasted prior to bottling, the wine also earned a four-star rating the 2009 Platter’s South African Wine Guide.
Snowbush takes its name from the sturdy, rounded grey-green fynbos Snowbush shrub, Brunia laevis, found on the farm. Its cream-coloured flowers with prominent, long stamens, are crowded into dense, rounded clusters.
Lomond, established in the valley of the Uilenkraal River, is located at a very southerly latitude, - 34° 34? south. It is one of a handful of wine farms with a Cape Agulhas appellation of origin. It is a member of both the Walker Bay Conservancy and the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI), which recognises producers for following sustainable wine-growing practices.
Last year, Lomond’s 2007 Pincushion Sauvignon Blanc won the Decanter World Wine Award’s international trophy for Sauvignon blanc retailing under £10, muscling out the usual contenders from New Zealand and Chile, who traditionally take the much-coveted honour.
DATE MAY 22, 2009
ISSUED BY DKC (DE KOCK COMMUNICATIONS)
FOR CAPE LEGENDS
QUERIES KOBUS GERBER, WINEMAKER 082 771 5188
DEIDRE SAMSON, CAPE LEGENDS MARKETING MANAGER OR TANYA JORDAAN, CAPE LEGENDS BRAND MANAGER (021) 809 7000
TESSA DE KOCK/MARLISE POTGIETER, DKC (021) 422 2690
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