Rosé 2017 (sold out - current vintage)
Our Grenache Rosé comes from the Franschhoek (French Corner) appellation
where it is produced in limited quantities as a joint venture between the families who
have owned the vineyards for generations and the worker's Trust, the
beneficiaries of which are descendants slaves and the indigenous
peoples who live on the farms and its environs.
The modern transformation on the farm where this wine is
made began when the owner of the farm (who attended the same school as Yair Safriel) returned to South Africa in 2001 to rescue his
family farm which had been in the family for six generations since
the 1700's. On his return, he soon realized that the farm was home
to seven families who had been residing and working on the
farm for generations as well. So the owner and the workers stopped
farming and started excavating around the
stately Cape Dutch homestead, cellar and farm buildings. As the
archaeological digs uncovered artifacts from different periods in
the history of the farm, the people of the farm could piece together
their own personal stories.
These historical and cultural treasures were placed in a social history
museum. The excavations also illuminated the fact that the farm was
built by slaves who are the direct ancestors of the tenants who live on the farm today. With the support of a British
entrepreneurial philanthropist, a trust was established through
which ownership of land and equity in the business could be shared.
In 2007 the workers and residents of the farm acquired a 33.3%
interest in the business subsequently rising to 50%.
The Winemaker
The farm's winemaker grew up in a nearby town on a fruit farm. His
first internships were at Fleur du Cap (a part of the Distel
conglomerate) and, as contrast, the 350 year old Boschendal Estate.
This was followed by experience at Mendocino in California, New
Zealand, Australia and Saint-Émilion in France.
On his return back to South Africa in 2009, he worked at the
world renowned Nederburg and at Vergelegen (the iconic
Somerset West wine estate) before moving to the Franschhoek
valley, where he and his wife, who is also a winemaker, live
on one of the valley farms.
The Wine
Only 100 cases were produced of the 2017 vintage Rosé. The wine is made from 100% Grenache Noir
grapes harvested
from two specific vineyard blocks on one farm, which is known for
its Rhone varietals. One of the blocks has a VSP
trellising system and the other a vine by stake method. The
harvest was split in two with the first being picked earlier for
freshness and focus, while the later portion provided fruit, flavor
and intensity. After crushing, the juice was left on the grape skins
overnight to extract color and flavor and then pressed gently,
collecting only the best juice. The wine was then tank fermented at
cool temperatures to optimize the expression of fruit and was aged
on the lees in tank for 6 months. The final result is a dry,
refreshing and flavorful Rosé.
Technical details: ALC - 13% Vol; PH - 3.28; RS - 2.14 g/l; TA - 5.3
g/l; VA - 0.31.
Awards:
Silver Medal - TEXSOM 2019 International Wine Awards
Lynne Safriel's thoughts: "I loved the passion and love that went into this wonderful Rosé and am glad to play a small part in the story of transformation of the farm where it was made. This wine fits in perfectly with the long beaches, super-fine sand, sun and beautiful people of the barrier island beach community I call home."
