Marras Wines, as South African as braaibroodjies and big open skies, is the project of Martin Lamprecht who is happiest among the tough bushvines of the Swartland and Piekenierskloof regions. A taste of the jackal’s searching soul, he channels this rugged terrain with his unpretentious winemaking style into a bottle, showcasing his sincere appreciation of the land he stalks.
From their perch in the lofty Piekenierskloof region, these dryland bush vines have seen and lived through it all; extreme conditions include temperature fluctuations, while being rooted in a dry layer of sandstone and granite soils with just enough water to produce grapes that add truly exceptional depth and complexity. Yip, these vines have stories to tell and they shout them loudly from the glass. The Chenin Blanc, Grenache and new Blombos Rosé offer out-of-this-world purity of fruit as well as a fine texture that sings with every single sip. You’ll have to finish the bottle to put the tales to bed.
If a grape could talk… luckily they can’t because they’d have stories from the Swartland to make your mom blush. While the Swartland is mainly known for wheat, little pearls of juicy berries are coming after its crown; the small concentrated berries of the vines produce well-balanced and exceptionally ripe and deep-flavoured site-specific wines. Marras sought out parcels of grapes from the Paardeberg and Kasteelberg respectively to produce a lean, mineral-driven Chenin Blanc and a silky-smooth Shiraz-Cinsault blend sculpted around smoke and spice.
Then there’s… The Trickster range is the result of some highly focussed rule-breaking that allows Marras to show off the deliciously secret characteristics of two heritage red varietals. In a sleight of hand, Cinsault and Pinotage grapes grown in Piekenierskloof emerge as light-styled summer reds, with upfront fruit and plenty of surprising varietal expressions. You know, like that friend who wears shorts in winter, no matter the weather.