“Full-bodied, but perfect for summer afternoons with a low alcohol of 12,5%, this wine is made to be enjoyed with or without food,” says Avontuur Estate winemaker Jan van Rooyen about his newest addition to this family-owned winery’s wine product list.
The blend is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, all from the Estate’s own vineyards high up against the Helderberg in this prime wine growing region between Stellenbosch and Somerset West.
“I believe that this style of wine is made in the vineyards, therefore we hand-harvested selected bunches from the Pinot Noir vineyards three times throughout the ripening season to bring in clean, healthy but lighter coloured bunches specifically for the Pinot/Chardonnay” Jan continued. After crushing, 50% of the Pinot Noir juice was fermented in second-fill French barrels, while the other components fermented in stainless steel tanks before being blended.
The wooded Pinot Noir portion adds complexity which many of these blends miss out on, whilst the palate is clean and crisp with the beautiful citrus flavours of the Chardonnay dominating.
For nearly a decade Avontuur Estate produced the Vintner’s Blend Chardonnay/Pinot Noir with a salmon rose colour. However, with the discontinuation of that range, the more complex and food-friendly Estate version simply called Pinot Noir/Chardonnay, was created.
“Although I think the wine could work with roast chicken, Thai curry or even pork dishes, it’s an ideal lunch time or sundowners type of wine and we’ve enjoyed it at the Avontuur Restaurant with their excellent salmon roses as well as their spicy, nutty oriental chicken salad,” Jan explains.
At a cellar door price of only R65 per bottle, the Avontuur Estate Pinot Noir/Chardonnay 2014 seems like a winner, and already sports a Gold Awards Medal for its first vintage.
The wine is available for tasting and sale from the Estate Tasting Room next to the R44 between Stellenbosch and Somerset West and from selected liquor outlets countrywide.
