Momento Grenache Blanc 2023

Momento Grenache Blanc

Region: Western Cape, South Africa

Vintage: 2023

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Grenache Blanc

ABV: 13%

Notes of granny smith apples and quince coupled with biscuity flavours and a hint of nougat. Lifted aromas of yellow blossom complement the orchard fruit notes and racy acidity leads to a long finish.

After many years searching for the ideal plot of Grenache Blanc, 2022 is Marelise’s fourth vintage of this wine. Fruit for the 2023 vintage was sourced from a site located in Voor-Paardeberg, just outside of the Swartland. The vines are planted on decomposed granite and clay. The region’s low rainfall and warm temperatures, combined with sandy decomposed granite soils, result in rich texture and intense concentration. Fruit is also sourced from granite soils in the Paardeberg and Stellenbosch.

The grapes were cold soaked on skins for roughly two days to create extra texture, tannin and a more layered mouthfeel, but were not fermented on skins to preserve the variety’s freshness and purity. Grapes were pressed gently in an old Vaslin basket press, followed by a 24-hour settling before racking to older French oak barrels (a combination of 225, 300 and 500 litre) using only indigenous yeasts. The wine was then aged for just under one year on gross lees in barrel following malolactic fermentation, resulting in rich texture. It was bottled without fining.

Born from a passion for Mediterranean varieties and old-vine fruit, Momento is the solo project from dynamic winemaker Marelise Niemann. Marelise honed her craft at Beaumont Family Wines from 2007 to 2014, sharing cellar space with Crystallum’s Peter-Allan Finlayson and Thorne & Daughters’ John Thorne-Seccombe. She also worked extensively in California, the Rhône, Burgundy, and Portugal. Her fascination with Grenache was sparked in 2010 while in Priorat, where, together with winemaker Eben Sadie, she was impressed by the vibrant fruit produced by old vines. Returning to South Africa, she sought out parcels of old vine Grenache to make her own elegant and soulful wines. In 2023, she was named Tim Atkin’s ‘Young Winemaker of the Year’ in recognition of her work.