‘Force Celeste’ Rosé

Swartland - South Africa

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About

The ‘Mother Rock’ series of wines is all about showcasing the nuance and greatness of the Swartland through a very minimalist touch of Johan Meyer, a.k.a. Stompie. ‘Force Celeste’ comes from the Latin ‘caelestis’ meaning ‘heavenly sky.’ It refers to the greater force out there that gives unique variation from year to year. The 2024 vintage comes from a 25-year-old block on the Grenaatfontein vineyard on the Paardeberg mountain. The 2023 winter was one of the wettest winters the area had seen in the last 15 years, with rains over 25 inches in some areas of the Swartland. This gave the vines a good start with budburst being very even and slightly earlier than normal.

The bunches were hand-picked two weeks earlier than normal, starting early January. The fruit was whole-bunch pressed to old French oak puncheons, and fermentation commenced without any additions on full gross lees. After 11 months of aging, the barrels were racked to tank and the wine was bottled with just a small addition of sulfur. No fining or filtering.

Stats

Grapes: 100% Cinsault
Vineyard: Grenaatfontein
Vine Age: 25-years-old
Soil Type: Decomposed granite
Viticulture: Practicing Organic – dry-farmed
Fermentation: Native – neutral French puncheon (direct press)
Skin Contact: None - just at the press
Aging: 11 months in neutral 500L French puncheon
Alcohol: 11.5%
Residual Sugar: 1.8 g/L
pH: 3.4
Total Acidity: 6 g/L
Total SO2: 28 ppm
Total Production: 222 cases

Tasting Note

Light copper pink in color. The nose evokes strawberries, raspberries, stone, and hay. The palate is bright, with lower alcohol and freshness being the name of the game.

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2024

‘Force Celeste’ Rosé

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