Leopard's Leap Culinaria Grand Vin

This wine pairs excellently with well-prepared red meat dishes. Its complex structure complements hearty meals such as beef bourguignon, lamb dishes, and hard cheeses.

Grapes for this classic Bordeaux-style blend originate mainly from the Stellenbosch and Darling areas. The vineyards benefit from cool sea breezes, contributing to a longer ripening period and enhanced flavor development. Well-drained soil types and cool, south-facing slopes, unexposed to direct afternoon sunlight, create ideal growing conditions for these varieties.

The wine was matured for 16–18 months in 225-liter French oak barrels, with 20% in first-fill barrels and the remainder in second- and third-fill barrels. This ageing process imparts complexity and structure to the wine.

Grapes were hand-picked and hand-sorted. The varieties were harvested separately at optimal ripeness and at an average of 24.5 degrees Balling. Each variety was fermented separately at temperatures between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius. During winemaking, there was minimal intervention, with regular punch-downs and pump-overs for extraction of color and flavor. After fermentation, the grapes were pressed, and malolactic fermentation was completed in 225-liter French oak barrels. The components were kept separately for 16–18 months before blending and bottling.

Leopard's Leap was conceptualised at the turn of the century by winemaker and businessman Hein Koegelenberg. With an initial international focus, the brand’s exceptional performance in the global market today sees it represented in more than 40 countries with dedicated marketing teams and distribution across Asia, the UK, Europe, North America and Africa. While consumers worldwide enjoy Leopard's Leap wines as an outstanding example of South African quality, it is at its Franschhoek home where guests are introduced to the accessible and versatile wine portfolio and the ways in which Leopard's Leap wines can be enjoyed as part of an everyday quality lifestyle.