Lynx Viognier

Dieter Sellmeyer started up this delightful small estate on the edge of Franschhoek in 1999. Dieter traded his life as an engineer to start a vineyard, which meant grubbing up the planted table grapes, replanting and then producing his first vintage in 2002.

In 2017 Lynx Estate was bought from Dieter by Manuel and Brigitte Konen. Helgard joined Lynx Wines in October 2010 as Assistant Winemaker. In April 2014 he was promoted to Winemaker and in January 2017 to General Manager and Winemaker when Dieter retired.

In the wine cellar, Helgard and the winemaking team still use many traditional appliances such as the open concrete tanks for fermenting the grapes or the hand-operated basket press. The open tanks give Lynx wines the unique taste of the vineyard grapes, which they are so well known for. In addition, they do the so-called Punch Downs. Here, the grapes are crushed by hand at regular intervals, so that we receive a controlled fermentation. Lynx use both steel tanks and French oak barrels in their wine cellar, with all their reds ripening in the latter.

Pierre and the team have made a subtle and complex Viognier. The grapes are picked early so as to keep some freshness and then 50% is barrel fermented and aged. So layers of pineapple, peach and apricot develop in the mouth with spice and oak. Although rich, fruity and floral this is delightfully firm and dry.