Country: | South Africa |
Region: | Franschhoek |
Winery: | Leopard's Leap |
Grape Type: | Chardonnay |
Vintage: | 2011 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Maipe Chardonnay 2013 is made from 85% Chardonnay, 15% Viognier.
Manual harvest.
5 hour maceration on skins in temperature controlled steel vats; fermentation with selected yeasts at 14°-16°C; 30% malolactic fermentation.
30% was aged in French oak barrels.
Brilliant yellow golden color with green hints.
The wine is crisp and filled with white peach, pear, green apples flavors, toasty vanilla. Elegant and luscious wine, well balanced. Crisp and long finish.
Pairs well with creamy soups, pork, veal, vegetables.
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Adelsheim Vineyard Chardonnay Staking Claim is made from 100% Chardonnay.
Review:
Grapefruit pith, flint, roasted almonds and toasted lemons here. It’s medium-bodied, flinty and gently toasty with bright acidity and a fresh, tight finish. Sustainable.
-James Suckling 92 Points
This chardonnay has a characteristic pale yellow color with a shade of gold and subtle nose that will remind you the fresh butter nuts and roasted almonds. On the palate, it is full bodied and fruity with a pleasant roundness.
Average age of the vines is 25 years old.
We produce a part of this cuvee with 12 hours skin maceration and another part from directly pressed grapes.
Wine was slightly filtered before bottling to insure the wine remains stable.
Best friend as an aperitive or with freshwater fish, shellfish and goat cheeses.
Leopards Leap Chardonnay Viognier is made from 95% Chardonnay, 5% Viognier.
Wine Style: Unwooded, elegant and full-bodied.
Vinification: Whole-bunch pressed, settled and cold fermented with extended lees contact. Fermentation takes place at optimum temperatures. Grapes are sourced from Villiersdorp and Darling regions.
Alcohol percentage: 13.5 %
Total Acidity: 6.4 g/L
pH: 3.35
Residual Sugar: 2.1 g/L
Total Production: 22,000 cases
This refined blend is produced to be an elegant, medium bodied wine with an abundance of tropical fruit, with the added complexity of the slightly wooded Viognier component. It is further enhanced by the tones of apricot and melon from the Viognier.
The Leopards's Leap Estate
Situated at the most southern tip of the African continent, South Africa is a country rich in diversity, a nation steeped in history, and one with a bright future. Agriculture is one of the country’s principal industries, and its rich culture of winemaking spans 300 years. Today, one of the best ways to experience South Africa’s unique heritage is by tasting its world-class wines. Leopard’s Leap is based in the picturesque town of Franschhoek, situated in the heart of South Africa’s winelands, located in the Western Cape province. An hour’s drive from Cape Town, Franschhoek is not only home to some of the country’s finest wine estates, but is also considered to be the culinary capital of South Africa.
The Name Leopard's Leap refers to the Cape Leopard and the efforts of the winery to reinstate the Cape Leopard.
"We are a proud sponsor of the Cape Leopard Trust, a NGO aiming to optimally facilitate conservation of the Cape region's predators, in particular the endangered Cape mountain leopard.
Cape mountain leopards fill the role of apex predators in the Western Cape ecosystem and act as an 'umbrella species' to control the numbers of smaller predators. In effect, they thus help with the conservation of other species by maintaining this balance. By simultaneously implementing conservation strategies, research projects and tourism initiatives, the trust works tirelessly to conserve these beautiful animals."
The Leopards's Leap Vineyards
We at Leopard’s Leap understand that the first thing the everyday consumer looks for when selecting wine is price. That is why we pride ourselves on producing excellent quality wine at affordable price points. Our winemaker, Eugene van Zyl, selects the best grape varietals from the Cape Winelands region, and strives to create wines that are high on quality and can compete with the best of South African wines. Our philosophy embodies creating wines that are popular with all palates and easy to drink, but does not compromise on quality, and can be served at a widevariety of social occasions. Leopard’s Leap produces three ranges. The premium Family Collection is at the top end, and with its sleek black, gold and red labels, these wines are perfect for special occasions. The elegant Classic Collection boasts a wide variety of well-structured wines that all pair exceptionally well with a wide selection of food. The Lookout Range is more fun-loving and is perfect for everyday drinking and as a companion to social events.
Prager Smaragd Klaus Riesling is made from 100 percent Riesling.
Franz Prager, co-founder of the Vinea Wachau, had already earned a reputation for his wines when Toni Bodenstein married into the family. Bodenstein’s passion for biodiversity and old terraces, coupled with brilliant winemaking, places Prager in the highest echelon of Austrian producers.
Smaragd is a designation of ripeness for dry wines used exclusively by members of the Vinea Wachau. The wines must have minimum alcohol of 12.5%. The grapes are hand-harvested, typically in October and November, and are sent directly to press where they spontaneously ferment in stainless-steel tanks.
Klaus sits adjacent to Achleiten and is one of the Wachau’s most famous vineyards for Riesling. The vineyard is incredibly steep with a gradient of 77% at its steepest point. The southeast-facing terraced vineyard of dark migmatite-amphibolite and paragneiss produces a tightly wound and powerful wine. The parcel belonging to Toni Bodenstein was planted in 1952.
Tasting Notes:
Austrian Riesling is often defined by elevated levels of dry extract thanks to a lengthy ripening period and freshness due to dramatic temperature swings between day and night. “Klaus is not a charming Riesling,” says Toni Bodenstein with a wink. Klaus is Prager’s most assertive and robust Riesling.
Food Pairing
Riesling’s high acidity makes it one of the most versatile wines at the table. Riesling can be used to cut the fattiness of foods such as pork or sausages and can tame some saltiness. Conversely, it can highlight foods such as fish or vegetables in the same way a squeeze of lemon or a vinaigrette might.
Review:
What a stunning example of cool climate riesling. It’s full-bodied and deep, but so cool and delicate, packing in sleek layers of honeysuckle, apricots, lemons and grapefruit married to thyme and crushed rock. So long and seamless, with tension and focus that just keeps going. Sustainable. Try from 2025.
-James Suckling 98 Points
Vinsacro Dioro Seleccion is made from 100% Vidau (Blend of the de varietals Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo with predominance of 70+ years old Garnacha).
A wine to enjoy.Vinsacro Dioro, a wine inspired by the Egyptian, Greek and Roman cultures that worshipped wine and gave it a sacred meaning associated with joy and festivity. It is the fruit of our best vineyards, living witnesses to the work and passion of the four generations that preceded us.
Pair with Roast lamb or pork, game, beef steaks, stewed meats. During the aperitive, it will accompany as well with aged and blue cheese.
14% Vol.
Grapes selected manually from our vineyards located on the southern slopes of Monte Yerga in the “Cuesta la Reina” estate. Grapes that are harvested with the utmost care, transported at low temperature in fruit boxes to the winery to avoid any damage to the fruit.
Fermentation is carried out with indigenous yeasts and the wine is kept in maceration for 30 days while breaking the cap daily. Afterwards, the wine is transferred to oak barrels where it remains for 17 months before bottling.
"Really sophisticated and polished with vanilla, coffee, earth and spice scents and oaky flavours. Long, brooding finish."
- Decanter World Wine Award (April 2022), 94 pts
"The 2019 Vinsacro Dioro Selección is a Vidau field blend sourced from Monte Yerga in Rioja Oriental. Aged for 18 months in French and Eastern European oak barrels, it is only released after five years in the cellar. Dark garnet in color, time in the glass reveals soy sauce, bay leaf and thyme notes, along with black fruit and chutney-like undertones. Dry and rich on the palate, it flows with softened tannins and a clingy mouthfeel, lingering long with an impression of tomato leaf. This is a complex, nuanced and solar red that will warmly captivate your palate. - Joaquin HIDALGO"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (April 2024), 94 pts