La Motte is introducing a new addition to its well-known portfolio of wines – a French-style rosé called Vin de Joie. The 2021 La Motte Vin de Joie Rosé is an elegant choice that promises to bring joy: whether it is a social joy - having a glass of wine with friends as part of a lazy lunch - or a simple joy - a quiet hour of reading or watching the sun sets…
“We have been thinking about adding a rosé to the La Motte Collection for a while now”, explains La Motte CEO Hein Koegelenberg. “I was impressed by the elegance of a Provençal rosé when I browsed the French wine hall at the 2019 Prowein Wine Trade Show in Germany. Tasting the wine and talking to the winemaker at the brand’s booth, I also found out that the wine was made just outside La Motte d'Aigues – the town after which we believed La Motte was named!”
Serendipity rather than coincidence one would think and enough reason for Hein to bring a bottle of the rosé back to Franschhoek as inspiration for the La Motte team. The cool growing season of the 2021 vintage was ideal for this style of wine and La Motte Cellarmaster Edmund Terblanche is delighted with the blend that is now ready for market.
The inspiration and the style of the La Motte Rosé might be French, but the grapes for the wine are a true celebration of South African terroir and its diversity – in more ways than one. While this wine promises to be the perfect glassful to celebrate everyday life with, the joy in the name and on the label was inspired by one of the true joys of biodiversity of the Cape Winelands - the Blushing Bride (Serruria Florida). This delicate fynbos species with charming shades of pale pink resonates beautifully with both the style and the colour of what was envisioned for the estate’s first rosé wine. In recreating the wild beauty of the delicate fynbos, a female shape of the Blushing Bride was commissioned as a sculpture for the La Motte gardens. It is the unmistakeable joy in the gesture of the sculpture’s arms that not only inspired the label design but, together with the wine’s French heritage and inspiration, also its name, Vin de Joie.
The 2021 La Motte Vin de Joie Rosé is a blend of 71% Grenache, 19% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah. The Grenache comes from Riebeek Kasteel and Piekenierskloof, the Mourvèdre from Franschhoek and the Syrah from Walker Bay. The varieties and various blocks were picked and processed separately. The grapes were cooled down for one night in a cold room to release as little colour as possible at crush. The grapes were destemmed and immediately fed into a press where the free run juice drained on arrival. Only the first 600 litres of juice from a ton of grapes were used in the making of this wine. After settling, the wine was racked and cool fermented in stainless steel. The wine was blended and stabilized before filtration and bottling. Only 4000 x 6 cases were produced.
The 2021 La Motte Vin de Joie Rosé offers a delicate salmon pink with a tinge of onion skin, typical of a Mediterranean-style rosé. The nose offers subtle, but well-defined melon, rose petal and nectarine with the charming notes of Turkish delight in the background. The palate is polished and juicy on entry, with a refreshing acidity and lovely lingering nectarine on the aftertaste.
The versatility of an elegant rosé is one of the reasons this style of wine is so popular. Enjoy the 2021 La Motte Vin de Joie Rosé as a glass on its own – whether it is in a sunny corner in winter or a shaded spot in summer. Pour generous glasses with informal Mediterranean-style platters, leafy salads, seafood paella and finely sliced Charcuterie. Serve it at a dinner party in elegant glasses with lightly smoked salmon or trout. Enjoy with sushi in summer and a comforting fish soup in winter.
