Watermelon, strawberries, fresh cherries with hints of pink candy floss, marshmallow and Turkish delight dominate the nose. The wine has a crisp, fresh mineral taste with a lingering, creamy mouth feel and hints of gooseberries, rosewater and red pepper spice. The strikingly beautiful bright pink colour of the wine will lighten up any occasion.
Food Pairing
It is an al fresco wine, perfect for picnics and light lunches. The wine is easygoing and will pair well with creamy food with a touch of saltiness added. It pairs well with a carbonara or mussel broth served with fondant potatoes and grilled line fish. It will love you for liver and will wrap around ‘skilpadjies’ off the ‘braai’. The wine is best friends with a smoked trout pâté and likes to flirt with an in-season strawberry. It is also a perfect partner for creamy seafood ‘potjies’.
Best served ice cold.
Lourensford – The River Garden Rosé 2016 (6/case) (R59/BOTTLE)
It was the driest year in 100 years of recorded history as we only received half of the normal average rainfall per year. This was followed by one of the hottest and driest summers in history. Budding started about one week earlier than usual and there were no severe South Easter winds at the start of summer. This resulted in very good budding and flowering of the vines. The drought and high summer temperatures resulted in much faster ripening and the earliest recorded harvest dates in history on Lourensford as well as the shortest harvest ever. The vines were generally very healthy and in good balance and harmony and where needed, watered by drip irrigation. The berries in general were smaller and more concentrated. With good canopy management and perfect harvest decisions the grapes were brought in at just the desired time. This resulted in refined wines with elegance and slightly lower than normal alcohols compared to other harvests.
The harvest dates were 29th January – 3rd March 2016.
In The Vineyard
Altitude:
100-200m above sea level from various locations on Lourensford Wine Estate
Age of vines: 9-14 years
Rootstock: 101-14 Mgt
Clones: MT01, MT11, SH01
Slopes: North Western and flat laying areas
Soil type:Varying soil types including high potential soil of Sweetwater, Tukulu, Dundee and Pinedene
Analysis
Alcohol: 12.5 vol %
pH: 3.15
Total acid: 7.0 g/l
RS: 4.8 g/l
Closure:Aluminium screwcap with Saran/Tin liner
Wine Information
Cultivar: 34% Merlot, 34% Mourvedre, 32% Shiraz
Wood: No wood treatmentMaturation Potential
This vintage can be enjoyed up to the end of 2018, but will reach its best drinking potential towards the second half of 2017 up to the beginning of 2018.
Food Pairing
It is an al fresco wine, perfect for picnics and light lunches. The wine is easygoing and will pair well with creamy food with a touch of saltiness added. It pairs well with a carbonara or mussel broth served with fondant potatoes and grilled line fish. It will love you for liver and will wrap around ‘skilpadjies’ off the ‘braai’. The wine is best friends with a smoked trout pâté and likes to flirt with an in-season strawberry. It is also a perfect partner for creamy seafood ‘potjies’.
Best served ice cold.