Lourens Family Wines new releases

By , 5 October 2020

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Franco Lourens has until now operated out Hemelrand as a sidekick to Chris Alheit but has recently moved to Paarl where he will be sharing cellar space with Lukas van Loggerenberg who is renting premises on the outskirts of town. Tasting notes and ratings for the new releases from Lourens Family Wines as follows:

Lindi Carien 2019
Price: R250
50% Chenin Blanc, 42% Verdelho and 8% Grenache Blanc. Roussanne has been dropped from the mix this year while some of the Chenin Blanc is from the Piekenierskloof Skuinskap vineyard – Lourens opting not to release this as a standalone wine as he felt he left picking too late.

Pretty and enticing aromatics of pear, peach, citrus plus hints of potpourri and dried herbs and a little flinty reduction while the palate has a dense core of fruit and comes across as entirely seamless. This is establishing itself as one of the best Cape White Blends around.

CE’s rating: 95/100.

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Blouklip Steen 2019
Price: R400
From a 1977 Durbanville vineyard on shale. Stone fruit, naartjie and orange as well dried herbs, ginger and a slight waxy character. Rich and round on the palate with nicely integrated acidity and a gently savoury finish.

CE’s rating: 94/100.

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Howard John 2019
Price: R250
46% Grenache, 27% Cinsault and 27% Syrah, grapes sourced entirely from Swartland, the portion of Wellington Carignan that marked previous vintages no longer a feature. Approximately 80% whole-bunch fermentation. Complex aromatics of red and black fruit, rose, fynbos, olive, earth and spice. The palate has good fruit weight (despite a modest alcohol of 13%) to go with bright acidity and crunchy tannins. It’s a very measured wine – approachable without sacrificing character.

CE’s rating: 95/100.

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Lua Ilse 2019
Price: R300
Made for Louren’s first born daughter. From a Piekenierskloof vineyard of Grenache planted approximately 15 years ago. 25% whole-bunch fermentation and matured for nine months in old oak. The nose shows floral perfume and fynbos before cherry and cranberry plus a little earthiness. The palate is generous without being too rich or heavy – good fruit expression, nice bright acidity and lightly grippy tannins. Alcohol is 14% and there is a slight impression of sweetness but you cannot accuse this of being effete as a few New Wave renditions can tend to be.

CE’s rating: 92/100.

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