Imbibing Beaumont

I have fond memories of Beaumont from an adventure involving Barrels & Beards  -  these memories were reinforced by revisiting these examples of The Good Wine some months later. I have no memory of a ’95 Port, however.

WHITE:

·         Beaumont Leo’s Skin Ferment Chenin Blanc (2011): Bottled in Magnum only, 1 barrel produced, 10 days of skin contact, whole bunch, tasted 3 x per day during fermentation, 39 year old vines. Lemon acetone, Bovril & buttered scones, rich but fresh, lemon butter, runny orange butter, caramel alcohol, round, lingering, shortbread & buttered Madeira cake. (**)

·         Beaumont Hope Marguerite (2012): First vintage produced in 1994. Wooded Chenin with an aging potential of 5 years. Aprocot jam, scones & cream, flapjacks with butter, cream & peach & apricot jam, peach soup with salted cream, rich & creamy, spinach seaweed, lurking roasted peanut brittle, vinegar popcorn. (**)

·         Momento Chenin Verdelho (2013): Sample – will be in barrel for a further 6 months. Frogs in fridges, lacey green peppers &  asparagus, figs & cheese, peach jam, cloudy pear juice.

RED:

·         Beaumont Vitruvian (2009): Mourvedre, Pinotage, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot & Shiraz. 4 -5 barrels made. Co-fermented. Caramelized strawberry sugar, creamy maraschino cherry, soft cherry maraschino mousse, creamed lentil soup with lurking spicy coriander. (****)

·         Momento Grenache (2011): 780 bottles, 50 year old bush vines which have since been pulled up. Strawberry juice concentrate, strawberry cotton candy, black forest mousse, cherry chocolate mousse, English dame with a bit of cheek, peppered strawberries, spicy raisins. (*)

Musings from Marelise:

·         There is an old mill on the farm in the Vitruvian design – represents the aim for perfect balance.

·         Generally skin contact is avoided with white wines – risk of oxidization