Varietal: Â 58% Viognier; 33% Roussane; 9% Grenache Blanc
Region: Â South Africa
Cost:Â ~$11
Winemaker’s Notes: Â A light, bright wine with tropical fruit and floral notes on the nose. Light peach with pear drops on the rich palate which is well-balanced with fruit-driven freshness and zesty acidity. Pair with cream-based seafood dishes.
My Review: Â The nice thing about when people bring wine to your home is that you get the opportunity to try a wine that you may not have picked out on your own, either because of the style, the price, or the region. The downside is that when you like a wine you have to go and look up the details (like price) since you didn’t pick it out yourself.
In this case, it was definitely worth it.
During my wife’s recent birthday party we of course had wine out. And, as our friends enjoy drinking as much as we do, several of them brought bottles of wine (and other things) to share amongst the group. One bottle the was brought, but not opened, was the 2012 Goats do Roam White, which my wife and I were happy to enjoy with dinner on our own.
In the glass the wine was a very light gold, and on the nose I picked up crisp citrus notes. In the mouth the wine was crisp, refreshing, and with just the right amount of acid as to be refreshing without hurting my teeth. Lime zest was the most prevelant note to me, but I didn’t detect any of the peach or pear that the winemaker appears to have.
Paired with a dinner that featured spicy fish and yellow grits the wine did a great job of providing a counter note the spice of the fish and the creaminess of the grits, while being enjoyable to sip on well after the food was gone.
I’ll admit that I don’t have a ton of experience with South African wines (though I have enjoyed the ones that I’ve tried), but wines like this do make me want to expand my experience there, and with wines at this price and quality, it shouldn’t be too hard.
Definitely one worth checking out, especially as summer demands lighter, more refreshing wines.
