Attention wine lovers — there’s a new Grenache Blanc on the block; the Blokhuis 2016.
Hand-numbered, wax sealed and presented in a beautiful, custom-made leather and bamboo box, this limited edition is the first cultivar to be launched under the Blokhuis label which will see a number of innovative, hand-crafted wines released annually.
The discovery and launch of the Blokhuis 2016 Grenache Blanc came about when winemaker and co-owner of Truter Family Wines, Hugo Truter was on a quest to find the finest grapes and stumbled, by chance upon a thirty-year-old Grenache single vineyard at the top of the Piekenierskloof Pass a few years ago.
Asked why they decide on naming it after the historic Blockhouse in Wellington, he says although they source grapes for their wines from around the Western Cape, they call Wellington their home.
“We were looking for a name for this exclusive new wine label. Every day we drive past the historic Blockhouse just outside of Wellington and it caught our attention as an interesting name with a story to tell. It’s rich in history and since it’s the most Southern Blockhouse of the near 8000 built across the country by the British Forces during the Anglo-Boer War, thought it is a fitting name”, says Truter.
The Blokhuis 2016 Grenache Blan. Pic supplied.
Truter, and his fellow-winemaker wife, Celeste, selected Grenache as the maiden wine for Blokhuis for its stand-out abilities and to capture their passion for winemaking.
He says although Grenache is still fairly unknown in South Africa, the varietal is appreciated for its ability to bring the crisp acidity and flintiness of Sauvignon Blanc and full mouth-feel of Chardonnay together in one wine.
“The wine opens up with aromatic citrus zest, raw coconut, and botanical honeybush. Tropical fruit, floral notes, and a buttery creaminess blends seamlessly with a refined,
racy acidity. Lovely to enjoy on its own, slightly chilled, the wine pairs well with richly spiced dishes such as Chicken Satay and Moroccan Tagine or medium-hard nutty cheeses such as Emmentaler and Gruyère”, says Truter.
As mentioned that this is a limited edition, there will only be 300 bottles that will be released.
“We are winemakers that believe in wines literally crafted by hand. When you work from a single vineyard, with one barrel, then you build a personal relationship with that wine from the day of harvest to the day of launch. The barrel only produced 300 bottles and hence the choice in the number of bottles available”, he says.
The Blokhuis 2016 Grenache Blanc is available at R495 per bottle