DMZ Grenache Noir
£14.99
£19.99 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
Only 5 bottles left
DeMorgenzon's DMZ range is built on a simple idea: serious wine that doesn't cost the earth. This Grenache Noir delivers exactly that, ripe red plum, white pepper and a whisper of violet, all grown on weathered granite soils high in the Stellenboschkloof Valley. A graceful, food-friendly red that punches well above its price point.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
UK wide delivery
Our Verdict
We taste a lot of South African Grenache, and DMZ keeps earning its spot in our line-up because it does the hard thing well: real complexity at a genuinely everyday price. The granite soils give it that lifted, peppery brightness we love, and the gentle handling in the cellar, foudres and cement alongside the French oak, keeps the fruit honest. It's the bottle we reach for when we want something interesting but unfussy, and a smart choice for anyone curious about where Cape Grenache is heading. If you enjoy this, the rest of the DeMorgenzon range is well worth exploring.
Tasting Notes
Pour it out and you get a deep purple core that signals intent. The nose leads with ripe red plum and bramble fruit, lifted by white pepper and a quiet floral lift, violets, lavender, a hint of spring blossom giving it real perfume. The palate carries that dark fruit through with cinnamon, clove and a whisper of vanilla spice from gentle oak. Tannins are fine-grained rather than grippy, and the finish lingers savoury and softly peppered, leaving you wanting another sip.
About This Wine
There's a reason Grenache is having a moment among South Africa's most thoughtful winemakers, and this bottle is a brilliant introduction to why. Grown on the weathered granite slopes of the Stellenboschkloof Valley, where the morning sun hits first, this is Grenache with poise, perfumed, lifted, and built around fruit rather than weight. Pour it and you get a deep purple core, with aromas of ripe red plum and crushed berries lifted by white pepper and a delicate floral edge, think violets, lavender, a hint of spring blossom. The palate carries that fruit forward but layers it with cinnamon, clove and a soft vanilla warmth from twelve months spent in a thoughtful mix of small French oak barrels, large 3000-litre foudres and cement tanks. The oak is felt, never seen. DeMorgenzon's DMZ range exists to overdeliver, and this is one of the clearer arguments for that approach. It's classic and elegant without being austere, generous without being heavy, exactly the kind of midweek red that quietly upgrades a Tuesday and still has the manners for a dinner party on Saturday. Serve it slightly cool, around 14–16°C, alongside slow-roasted lamb, herby grilled chicken, a charcuterie board, or a mushroom risotto. We ship across the UK, usually within a couple of working days, and it's a thoughtful, well-priced bottle to send to anyone who likes their reds with a bit of perfume and a lot of personality.
Food Pairing
This is a brilliant Sunday lunch wine. The peppery lift and bright fruit cut through fatty roast lamb or a herb-crusted shoulder of pork, while the soft tannins make it equally happy with charcuterie boards and tomato-rich pasta. Try it slightly cool with a midweek sausage cassoulet, or alongside a board of aged Gouda and quince paste.
- —Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with rosemary and garlic
- —Herb-crusted pork loin with roasted root vegetables
- —Charcuterie board with cured chorizo and saucisson
- —Tomato and beef ragu with fresh tagliatelle
- —Aged Gouda with quince paste and walnuts
How to Serve
Decanting
A short decant of 30-40 minutes opens the floral aromatics nicely, but it's not essential. If you prefer, simply pour and let the glass do the work over the first half hour.
Ageing & Cellaring
Drink now or cellar for the next 3-5 years. The gentle oak handling and structured fruit suggest it will reward a little patience, with the floral notes deepening into something more savoury and the spice mellowing as the tannins integrate further.
The Land
Mostly weathered granite soils on estate vineyards, free-draining, mineral-rich, and famously good at producing wines with energy and lift. Granite gives Cape reds a particular kind of vibrancy: youthful vigour and natural exuberance, with fine-grained structure underneath the fruit.
The Winemaking
Hand-harvested fruit is destalked into stainless steel tanks, with a small percentage of whole bunches kept in the mix for added lift and aromatic complexity. Spontaneous fermentation runs cool, between 22 and 27°C, with gentle punch-downs to coax colour and supple tannin from the skins rather than force them. After malolactic, the wine settles into a mix of small French oak barrels, 3000-litre foudres and cement tanks for twelve months, a quietly clever combination that adds texture and seasoning without ever masking the fruit.
About the Producer
De Morgenzon
DeMorgenzon means "the morning sun", and the name isn't just poetic branding. The estate sits high in the Stellenboschkloof valley, angled to catch the first light of day before anywhere else in the valley, and that position shapes everything about how the wines taste. Wendy and Hylton Appelbaum bought the property in 2003 and set about turning it into what they call a garden vineyard: 91 hectares farmed with as much attention to wildflowers, biodiversity and soil health as to the vines themselves.
The detail that tends to stop people in their tracks is the music. Since 2008, Baroque compositions have played through speakers set among the vines, day and night, on the belief that the sound waves benefit vine health and grape development. It sounds unlikely until you taste the wines, which have a clarity and precision that's hard to argue with. Whether it's the music, the site, or simply meticulous farming, something here is working.
The winemaking has been shaped by serious hands. Chenin specialist Teddy Hall helped define the estate's white wine style, while Adi Badenhorst brought his expertise to the reds, and Wendy Appelbaum, who owns and chairs the estate, has kept quality and consistency at the centre of every decision. Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay are what DeMorgenzon is best known for among South African wine specialists, wines with real texture and restraint rather than showy fruit.
We stock DeMorgenzon because the DMZ range makes this level of thinking accessible. The Chenin Blanc carries real Stellenboschkloof character at an everyday price, the Syrah shows the estate's savoury, structured style in red form, and the Rosé, made from Shiraz, is a proper food wine rather than a poolside afterthought. For UK drinkers curious about what happens when serious farming meets serious winemaking, without the serious price tag, DMZ is a genuinely useful place to start.