Tasting note: Leopard’s Leap Culinaria Chenin Blanc tasting Notes and food pairing.
Movies have been inspiring chefs for decades. This month the chefs at Leopards Leap Family Vineyards were inspired by Shrek. Shrek is one of my favorite animated films, I love the mix of music and sharp humor, which still makes me laugh.
Who remember this classic line from the film:
Shrek: Ogres are like onions.
Donkey: They stink?
Shrek: Yes... no.
Donkey: They make you cry?
Shrek: No.
Donkey: If you leave them out in the sun, they turn brown and start sprouting little white hairs?
Shrek: No! Onions have layers. Ogres have layers.
Leopards Leap sent me the ingredients to make a delicious Onion Tart to pair with their Culinaria Chenin Blanc ( RSP : R110.00)
“the layers of an onion and to beautifully enhance the sweet flavours with an eggy custard and crumbly pastry. Paired with two of our easy-drinking Chenin Blanc's with their layers of fruity freshness we would love to treat you to this beautiful combination of taste sensation.”
Tasting Notes : ( the stuff us wine nerds love!)
Leopards Leap is well known for their easy everyday drinking wines. The Culinaria collection was created to harmonise with food. Matching the finest in food with the finest in wine is the very reason behind this exquisite collection - to create optimal enjoyment through mutual enhancement.
Leopards Leap Culinaria Chenin Blanc is a Wine of Origin Western Cape. Grapes used for the production of this Loire-style wine originate from the Voor-Paardeberg area, well-known for growing excellent quality Chenin Blanc.
Composition: 100% Chenin Blanc Vineyards: The grapes grow on bush vines with an average age of twenty years and an average yield of 4,8 tons per hectare. The unirrigated soils have a unique water-releasing capacity that favours good grape concentration.
Wine-making: Hand-picked at optimum ripeness. Grapes were de-stemmed, crushed and pressed after a short period of skin contact. The juice was allowed to settle, then fermented at between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius in 500-litre second-fill and third-fill French oak barrels. Barrels were topped up and the wine was allowed nine months' lees contact prior to blending and bottling. Before release, the wine was bottle-matured for four months.
Analysis: Alcohol 13,5% Vol Residual sugar 1,8 g/l pH 3,48 Total acid 6,4 g/l
Character: Leopard's Leap Culinaria Chenin Blanc has a well-defined ripe fruit character, showing aromas of ripe white peach and melon. These aromas are supported by sweet-spice flavours and a vibrant acidity. Elegant oak nuances give this wine its structure and make it a unique food companion.
My thoughts: I enjoyed this wine, I have recently started to drink more Chenin Blanc. This wine was a lot lighter in colour than other Chenin Blancs I have recently tasted. My feeling is that as South Africans we drink our wines a bit young ( I know that we make our wines for early consumption), that is why I’m glad that this was a 2017 vintage. A younger vintage would have not had the same flavour profiles. The nose of peach was lovely and light, making it a great pairing with the pastry of the onion tart. Chenin Blanc was a good pairing with the Onion Tart , as the wine had enough acidity to cut through the richness of the tarts egg base.
Here is the recipe for the Onion Tart ( If i had left my husband to his own devices, he would have eaten the entire tart on his own)
Leopards Leap wines are available at most bottle stores and from their website.
Now is the perfect time to curl up on the couch with a glass of wine and relax, while watching a funny movie.
Note: Tasting Notes Supplied by Leopards Leap Family Vineyard.
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