2022 Momento Grenache Swartland

Name: 2022 Momento Grenache Swartland
SKU: 1903777
Rating: 93.5 (3 reviews)

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Decanter

Reviewed January 2024

A radiant Grenache, glowing with a healthy ruby colour, releasing scents of rose petal, pomegranate and fresh raspberry on the nose. The palate is suffused with powdery tannins, tapered and crisp, and the wine is refined and perfumed, with admirable freshness. There’s no hint of booziness or caramelisation here, but neither is there any leaness, greenness or asperity to the flavour. Perfectly judged and deliciously transparent Grenache that’s especially good in 2021. Grapes for this wine come from the Langkloof farm in Swartland. It was planted as bush vines in 2002, using cuttings from the oldest Grenache vineyard in the Cape, which itself was planted in 1952 using an old Grenache clone with thicker skins. The approach here is gentle and low-extraction with minimal working of the grapes. Marelise uses around one-third whole bunches, with the rest foot-trodden and added on top in the fermenter. There follows a cold soak four days, then spontaneous ferment (as with all Momento wines) and gentle punch downs twice a day by hand. It ferments slowly in small open-top tanks. Including a post-ferment maceration, the juice spends four weeks on skins, and then the wine is matured in 4,000-litre foudres for 16 months, with some time in bottle before release. If you've never tried this wine, pick it up in this vintage. (JM)

Professional Reviews

Vinous

Review Date: 09/2023

The 2022 Grenache Noir contains 20% stems and undergoes a natural fermentation, three weeks on the skins, and matures 16 months in used 225-liter oak barrels. It has a lovely bouquet with detailed red cherries and crushed strawberry fruit, a little gravelly scent in the background, and later light orange blossom aromas. The palate is well-balanced with finely chiseled tannins, open and transparent with gentle grip and more persistency on the finish, plus a residual pepperiness that is very appealing. (NM)

Staff Reviews

Aaron Hughes

Review Date: 10/2025

Such a pretty wine, from very first blush in the glass it's incredibly light in color invoking the spirit of some of the lightest Grenaches I've tried. It's got this almost shimmery red, fully translucent but with a really nice overall saturation. The eyes drink first, we all know this. The nose is super floral and expressive, little bits of hibiscus, rose, and little bits of violet all wrapping itself around this brightly red fruited core with some dusky red cherry, sweet pomegranate, and on the back end there's a little bit of black tea, it's really compelling. The palate has a bit of high toned red fruit, but there's a lot more of the savory components in the middle, the finish is a little mélange of fruit, tea, and acidity and you're the one that's winning. This is a really great example of a light and pretty Grenache, and if that's your cup of tea this is very much worth your attention.

Notes

Momento was founded in 2013 while Marelise Niemann was the winemaker at Beaumont Family Wines in Bot River. Since then, she has earned a reputation for producing wines of purity, elegance, and honesty. She works with old vines in both Bot River and the Swartland, following a minimal intervention philosophy that highlights terroir. Marelise is deeply committed to using grape varieties that thrive in South Africa’s climate—those that can withstand low rainfall and high temperatures, naturally integrate with their environment, and require minimal inputs. Varieties like Chenin, Verdelho, and Grenache flourish in these dry, warm conditions. For Marelise, the future lies in working with well-adapted grapes, minimizing energy and water use, and allowing vineyards to thrive with minimal interference.

Details

Origin	South Africa
Type/Varietal	Grenache
SKU	1903777