Ex Animo De Keur Grenache 2023

The maiden 2022 vintage of De Keur Grenache 2022 from David and Jeannette Clarke of wine distribution company Ex Animo was smart enough, but the 2023 (price: R270 a bottle) suggests that this is wine might quickly become a benchmark of the variety.

Grapes come from a vineyard planted to a mix of clones in 2017 on Jeannette’s family farm situated on the Ceres Plateau and winemaking is handled by Lukas van Loggerenberg, 20% of the stems added back to the fermentation before maturation lasting some nine months in older 300-litre barrels.

A touch of reduction precedes red and black berries plus traces of floral perfume, herbs and earth. The palate has good fruit depth, lemon-like acidity and powdery tannins. Supple with lovely texture and integration, the finish super-dry but not astringent. Alc: 13.3%.

The label is based on an artwork by artist Lenka Kuhn, features a line drawing of an anatomical human heart constituted out of elements of vines. The concept was for the artwork to evolve over five vintages, gradually revealing more details until the full image is unveiled in 2026. Unfortunately, the first batch of the 2023 release arrived with the label affixed upside down…

CE’s rating: 94/100.

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