Leeuwenkuil Family Vineyards Cinsault Rose, Swartland

An engaging and elegant dry rosé showing lovely finesse. Enticing aromas of raspberry and pomegranate follow through to the palate through to a tangy cranberry finish.

Producer Note

Leeuwenkuil Family Vineyards is the most southerly estate in Swartland and its history dates to 1693, when the farming focussed on livestock, grain and vineyards, making it a valuable stop-over for travelling parties to and from Cape Town. The banks of the Klapmuts River, a small stream running through the farm, used to shelter Cape Mountain Lions, from which the estate’s name Leeuwenkuil (Lion's Den) derived. In 1850, the Dreyer family bought the farm, and it is run by seventh generation Willie Snr and his wife Emma. Willie has significantly invested in planting vineyards and today Leeuwenkuil is the largest vineyard in the Cape Coastal area. With a lack of sustainable irrigation water, most of the vineyards are dry-farmed and have a very low carbon footprint. Of the 1,200 hectares under vine, 100 hectares are organic, while the rest is sustainably cultivated. Leeuwenkuil built a state-of-the-art winery which vinified their first grapes in 2020, producing Swartland wines of distinction and character.

Vineyard

Leeuwenkuil is situated in the triangle between Malmesbury, Paarl and Durbanville. The Atlantic Ocean lies 20 miles to the west and this has a significant cooling and moderating effect on the Mediterranean climate. The rolling hills average around 140 metres above sea level. However, the superior influence on the wine is from the various soil formations, namely shale, schist, granite and iron stone. These ancient soils vary greatly in the percentage of clay, mineral content and organic matter. The grapes for this rosé are mostly grown in clay rich shale, resulting in a wine with substance and moderate acidity. The oldest vineyards are low density bush vines; this training method handles dryland conditions the best. A mixed cover crop is planted during early winter and ploughed in mid spring. All pruning, suckering and harvesting actions take place by hand. Exposure to spring and summer winds create a healthy environment with little intervention needed to keep vines healthy.

Winemaking

Whole bunch pressing took place to extract as little colour as possible. The grapes were left to cold settle overnight, to clear the juice before being racked to stainless steel vats. Wild yeast enabled fermentation at 20°C, the higher temperature imparting a creamy mouthfeel. Post fermentation lees contact took place until bottling.

Tasting Note

An engaging and elegant dry rosé showing lovely finesse. Enticing aromas of raspberry and pomegranate follow through to the palate layered with ripe watermelon and a tangy cranberry finish.

Grape

Cinsault 100%