The Tops@Lifestyle Wine of the Week
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Simone Coetzee from Wolf and Woman Wines and Valencia Magwaza from Tops present the Wolf and Woman 2023 Grenache Rose
This Swartland rosé has a touch of Provence in its style. Winemaker, Jolandie Fouche, sources the grapes from two valleys of the Paardeberg Mountain in the Swartland (in the Aprilskloof and Sibritskloof valleys). She does three picks in order to provide layers of fruit and freshness to the wine. The first pick is on 20˚Balling which gives the energy and freshness of the wine. The second pick is around 21˚B and the last pick at 22˚B; these picks provide multiple layers of fruit and add complexity to the final wine. It is made in the traditional blanc de noir style – in other words, by taking the long road with a slow whole cluster pressing. This action is very gentle; there is no extraction of harsh phenolics and the stems act like a filter bed, and thus the juice is cleaner and the color extraction is minimal. Plus, fun fact: the 2020 vintage was served at the Queens Jubilee, so Jolandie now likes to call it the Royals’ Rosé.
The Grenache was hand-harvested in three picks early in the morning, packed in crates and allowed to spend 24 hours in a cold room. The following day the grapes were gently whole-cluster pressed, with only the free-run juice being used and left to settle naturally for a day. No enzymes were used during the settling process and the juice was racked from the thick, gross lees, but with the fine lees intact, to half old 500L French barrels and half stainless steel.
This Swartland rosé has a touch of Provence in its style. Winemaker, Jolandie Fouche, sources the grapes from two valleys of the Paardeberg Mountain in the Swartland (in the Aprilskloof and Sibritskloof valleys). She does three picks in order to provide layers of fruit and freshness to the wine. The first pick is on 20˚Balling which gives the energy and freshness of the wine. The second pick is around 21˚B and the last pick at 22˚B; these picks provide multiple layers of fruit and add complexity to the final wine. It is made in the traditional blanc de noir style – in other words, by taking the long road with a slow whole cluster pressing. This action is very gentle; there is no extraction of harsh phenolics and the stems act like a filter bed, and thus the juice is cleaner and the color extraction is minimal. Plus, fun fact: the 2020 vintage was served at the Queens Jubilee, so Jolandie now likes to call it the Royals’ Rosé.
The Grenache was hand-harvested in three picks early in the morning, packed in crates and allowed to spend 24 hours in a cold room. The following day the grapes were gently whole-cluster pressed, with only the free-run juice being used and left to settle naturally for a day. No enzymes were used during the settling process and the juice was racked from the thick, gross lees, but with the fine lees intact, to half old 500L French barrels and half stainless steel.
