Lourensford Chrysalis –
2 New Flagship Wines Released

Words: Crush

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Lourensford Estate has recently unveiled the debut vintages of its elegant new flagships, Lourensford Chrysalis Red Blend 2015 and Lourensford Chrysalis White Blend 2015. This is the culmination of years of dedication and passion to capture the essence of the estate’s unique terroir in a wine.

From the Winemaker

Cellarmaster Hannes Nel explained that ever since joining Lourensford he had dreamt of making a wine that was the ultimate expression of the Estate, irrespective of the choice of grape varieties:

“We began our Chrysalis journey with no preconceived ideas of what wine we were ultimately going to make. These uniquely Lourensford blends are the result of years of experimentation, learning and patience.”

Made with minimal intervention from grapes of selected site-specific vines, only a limited quantity is bottled following intensive barrel selection and meticulous blending – 2517 bottles of the Chrysalis Red Blend 2015 and 1412 bottles of the Chrysalis White Blend 2015.

Lourensford Chrysalis Revealed

Explaining the symbolism of the name for the flagship range, Nel said: “Nothing demonstrates the evolution of these wines better than the remarkable metamorphosis of the tiny chrysalis. For me the bottle symbolizes the pupa with the beautiful butterfly developing inside. Pouring the wine into your glass releases the rare butterfly, completing the metamorphosis of grapes into a wine of intense complexity.”

Lourensford General Manager Koos Jordaan said that the launch of Chrysalis also celebrates the metamorphosis of the picturesque Estate in Somerset West.

“From our beginnings as an unknown fruit farm to the world-class wine producer and ‘must-visit’ destination that we are today.

Wine Pairing Lunch at Lourensford Estate

Both Chrysalis wines were debuted for a small group of media recently, with a stunning lunch designed to showcase each wine’s subtle nuances.

Lourensford Chrysalis White, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier, was paired with the entrée of Linefish and Scallop en Papillote. The idea of serving the dish in this way was to pay homage to the idea of a Chrysalis revealing something beautiful within. Alongside this was a delicate vanilla mousse, that although sounded unusual, was absolutely delightful with the fish.

Lourensford Chrysalis Red, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, was paired with a dish of rolled lamb with seasonal root veg, lentils and a rich, deep jus. This bold Bordeaux-style red paired beautifully with this dish.