02 Sep Heralding in a new era for serious rosé!

With a name as enticing as its delicate rose petal hue, we are proud to introduce a more serious style of rosé wine, the Fairview Rose Quartz 2016!
South Africa’s vineyard landscape is striking, characterised by very old geological formations, such as Africa’s single biggest granite rock. Formed from ancient crystallised magma, granite is typically composed of minerals feldspar and quartz, which when mixed with soil creates an environment that is perfect for cultivating vines. Today, some vineyards are speckled with remnants of this decomposed quartz, which in the right afternoon light, shimmers pink in the sun’s rays. Offering delicate notes of rose petal and pomegranate, our Rose Quartz emerges, reflecting the very minerals in which it is grown.

Inspired by the rosé wines of Provence, Rose Quartz aims to be in line with a new wave of winemaking that sees the contemporary rosé as a more serious contender among South African palate choices.

Eager to take on the challenge of elevating the status of this often underappreciated style of wine, our team set out to craft a universally complimentary rosé by sourcing select grapes from three brilliant, stand-alone vineyards on our Fairview farm. These vineyards are all sites that already make exceptional red wines at Fairview.

With a trendsetting blend of 41% Grenache Noir, 39% Carignan and 20% Cinsault, these versatile and striking varieties have resulted in Fairview’s first premium rosé, Rose Quartz 2016. For the winemaking process, the grapes were handpicked and transferred to the cellar, where they underwent whole-bunch pressing, leaving the juice to settle overnight. Then, the juice was racked off the lees and 45% was fermented in older French oak barrels before it was meticulously blended and bottled.

The result is a wine that displays a beautiful rose petal hue, and offers stunning notes of fresh quince, cherries and pomegranate on the nose, ending off with a crisp mineral finish.

“Rosé wine is the perfect ‘in-between’ wine. Our pale, fresh Rose Quartz is a welcome addition to the range. It’s a great summer wine, packed with fruit and complexity,” says winemaker Anthony de Jager.

This very versatile wine is well balanced and delicious when paired with salads, creamy pasta dishes, sushi and other light fish dishes.

The Fairview Rose Quartz 2016 retails for R100 a bottle and for the moment, is exclusively available from Fairview’s online shop, Fairview Cellar Door (cellar.fairview.co.za) and the farm’s Tasting Room in Paarl.