De Grendel is a historic estate that has been producing wine since 2003. It wasn't until 1999 that the third generation of the Graaf family planted their first grapes. Charles Hopkins joined the family as winemaker in 2005, and since then, they have been producing high-quality wines. The vineyards are situated at an altitude of 350 meters on the coast just north of Cape Town, overlooking Table Mountain. This location allows the grapes to enjoy the cooling breezes of the Atlantic Ocean. This preserves the grapes' acidity, resulting in a beautiful balance between acidity and ripeness.
The Pinot Noir grapes are harvested entirely by hand and immediately destemmed and crushed in the winery. This is followed by a four-day cold maceration. The wine is then transferred to new French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation, before being transferred to a combination of older barrels for aging for 13 months. The color is bright cherry red. The aroma reveals beautiful aromas of cherries, berries, and raspberries interspersed with a hint of fynbos. On the palate, wonderfully soft notes of cranberries, cherries, raspberries, pomegranate, a touch of cedar, and silky tannins. What a truly special Pinot Noir.
