variety : Cinsaut [ Cinsault, Mourvèdre ]
winemaker : Nadia Barnard
wine of origin : Western Cape
analysis : alc : 12.5 % vol rs : 2.0 g/l pH : 3.32 ta : 4.1 g/l
type : Rose style : Dry body : Medium taste : Fruity
pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Screwcap
in the vineyard : It’s Really All About The Vineyards
False Bay Rosé is produced from Cinsault and Mourvèdre grapes. We prefer Rhône varietals when it comes to producing our Rosé as we believe that these varietals impart elegant tannins and ensure a well rounded wine.
After intensive viticultural research, old Cinsault vineyards in Stellenbosch clinched the deal with a small portion of Mourvèdre from the same region adding further complexity to this dry, delicate rosé delight.
And A Few Prayers To Mother Nature: The 2014/15 Growing Season
The 2014 winter was optimal with sufficient rain to fill the dams and provide enough cold units in July to have the vines in full dormancy. From August the temperatures started to rise slowly and spring arrived early with flowering occurring under ideal conditions, which ensured even ripeness, an excellent contribution to quality.
We saw slightly windy conditions during this stage, which resulted in looser bunches and helped to attain lower yields and more concentration. Rainfall decreased dramatically from September, with warm, dry weather and less strong winds than usual. Throughout the growing season temperatures remained moderate, with intermittent hot days. Veraison started about 2 weeks earlier than usual. For the rest of the growing season we saw little rain which resulted in very low disease pressure. Even though the days were warm we noticed that the evenings cooled down very nicely.
The 2015 harvest was the earliest to date. We started picking approximately two weeks earlier than usual due to the early flowering in spring, but hang time was sufficient to allow phenolic ripeness. The quality of the fruit was exceptional: low pH, high acidity and clean fruit with little to no rot.
in the cellar : A Gentle Hand
It was cooled to 12 ºC before it was whole bunch pressed. This wine did not have any extended skin contact, to ensure that only the finest juice was used in producing our delicately spiced Rosé. The wine was allowed to ferment spontaneously by using the naturally present yeast from the vineyards. The fermentation temperatures were at around 16 – 18ºC. It spent 8 months on the lees prior to bottling to ensure a gentle, well balanced wine.