Less and less low-profile… Eikendal releases 2013 vintage of its ‘icon’ red Classique
EIKENDAL’S latest releases of their so-called ícon wines – the 2014 Chardonnay at R127 pb and the 2013 red blend Classique at R223 pb – promise much. Such are the good track records of these wines that it’s amazing to some that the Stellenbosch property still has a low profile relative to many of the other Top 50 wine cellars in South Africa. It was with their wooded Chardonnay that Eikendal first popped up from under the radar after being regarded by those in the know as one of the Helderberg’s best value-for-money whites for many a year. Since the turn of the century, however, the farm has built a solid reputation as much – in fact more so – on red wines and, most of all, on the Bordeaux-style combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
With accolades that feature a trophy at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London for the 2004 vintage, Eikendal Chardonnay’s string of top ratings extend to the most recent bottlings – including a gold medal at the SA Trophy Wine Show for the 2011. And of the 2013, winemaker Nico Grobler talks about “freshness and hints of minerality, enriched with crisp, ripe pears, honeysuckle, orange peel, apples and honey… with a creamy, fruity finish of great length.”
The success of the flagship, Bordeaux-style red blend Classique, on the other hand, has been punctuated with a double gold medal at the Veritas Awards for the 2001, the title of best in its class at the Trophy Wine Show with the 2009 vintage, 5 Stars in Platter’s SA Wine Guide for the 2011 and a double gold medal at the Six Nations Wine Challenge with the 2012 edition. In terms of the SA Wine Classification, Eikendal Classique now ranks as one of the Top 10 red blends in the country!
“Our newly released 2013 Classique vintage seems set for greatness too,” says Nico. “It whispers soft nuances rather than shouts bold flavours… Pick the perfect occasion to open it up in a decanter. You will be blown away,” he says, confident that the wine can easily age well for up to 25 years.
