News
23 January 2008 - www.wine.co.za
Funky new Viognier affirms Radford Dale's individuality
Individuality is the hallmark of Stellenbosch-based The Winery of Good Hope's wines, but now "funky" will also be associated with the brand. The newly launched Radford Dale Viognier 2007 is bone dry in the classic French style, different from the ripe and rich style of many South African viogniers.
It was one of only a small handful of Viogniers to be awarded four-star status in the 2008 Platter Wine Guide.
Co-founder Alex Dale believes, following several vintages of experimentation, that this maiden release will help broaden the palate of experiences for South African wine drinkers who are exploring the range of Viogniers in this relatively new market.
"It's funky and mineral, in the Condrieu style - and this may be at odds with what many local consumers expect in a Viognier. The more adventurous will have tasted Viogniers from other regions and should be more familiar with drier, less alcoholic wines."
This single-vineyard wine is made from low-yielding nine-year old vines growing on the slopes of the Helderberg, Stellenbosch, on the property where The Winery of Good Hope is based. Dale says it is a "really fantastic site, with its south-west-facing aspect and decomposed granite soil contributing to the wine's genuine minerality and complexity. This helps to give the Radford Dale Viognier a distinct sense of place."
The crafting of this wine was inspired by Edouard Labeye, head of oenology and long-time partner in The Winery. For the Radford Dale Viognier he has worked in the manner he prefers in his own Northern Rhône Valley vineyards, ensuring restraint and freshness above the power and ripe flavours of the grape. Labeye also consults to famous Condrieu producer Lys de Volan - the joint venture of French actor Gerard Depardieu and vineyard owner Alain Paret, and has almost three decades experience working with this grape.
Dale says that "our team has sought to produce a Viognier with individualism and character. The varietal apricot flavour is underpinned with incredible freshness, minerality, even flintiness, and great length. There's no secret that most of this is due to the natural qualities of the site."
The eight barrels used to ferment and mature the wine were 100% Burgundian-coopered French oak.
"I like to accompany our funky Viognier with my favourite French cheese, Comté. It's a great way to finish a fabulous meal, not least if with a bunch of mates," says Dale. Comté is a unique cheese made from the unpasteurised milk of the Montbeliard cow - the only breed authorised for the cheese's manufacture by the French AOC which allocates labels of origin guaranteeing its quality and origin. The cows are fed only with natural foodstuffs.
The cheese is made in more than 190 small village cheese dairies in the Massif of the Jura - a region of medium-range mountains in the Franche-Comté. The maturing process in special cellars for a minimum of four months - often longer - contributes to the rich range of aromas and tastes.