"A complex, expressive bouquet. The citrus and tropical fruits are layered with brioche, honey and walnut. The palate is carried through by a distinct minerality and crisp acidity through to a lingering citrus finish."
Californian Samantha O'Keefe has found paradise and the perfect terroir. Tucked into the foothills of a dramatic mountain range at the bottom of Africa, Lismore Estate Vineyards was born alongside her nascent family. A passionate vision, combined with vines planted at 300 metres, which are chilled by winter snow and nourished by the African summer sun, produces classic, cool climate wines which are rich, complex and lovingly hand-crafted.
The Overberg region is rapidly earning a reputation for premium, cool climate grapes. Lismore is situated in Greyton, a designated ward, in recognition of the unique expression of terroir in the wines that are produced there. The Lismore Estate has a total of 12.5 hectares of vineyard, planted on slopes at the base of the Riviersonderend Mountain Range. The combination of elevation and climate make for an extended ripening period, which is approximately three to four weeks later than the more traditional wine growing areas in the Western Cape.
The 2017 vintage was a balanced year in Greyton. Warm dry weather conditions throughout the vintage helped to reduce disease pressure. However the cooler nights helped to lengthen the ripening period and retain balancing acidity. Sufficient rainfall ensured the vines were healthy and harvest period was dry. 2017 produced smaller yields of concentrated berries delivering excellent varietal characteristics.
The grapes were picked at optimal ripeness and whole bunch pressed, slowly extracting the juice at a rate of 600 litres per tonne. The juice was cold settled for 48 hours and then racked into 225, 300 and 500 litre older Burgundian barrels for fermentation with wild yeasts. 5% of the barrels were new oak for the 2017 vintage. 20% of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation allowing the wine to retain its original fruitiness and fresh acidity. Although the oak gives this wine its luxurious texture, the philosophy was to ensure the fruit, acidity and pH drove the wine’s flavour, rather than obtaining overt, extracted buttery notes from the oak
