Mourvedre Rosé

This rosé is versatile and pairs well with a variety of dishes. It is an excellent match for light salads, grilled seafood such as prawns and calamari, and sushi. It also complements Mediterranean dishes like tapas, grilled vegetables, and fresh goat cheese. Its crisp acidity and refreshing profile make it a great aperitif and a perfect choice for casual outdoor dining and picnics.

The Mourvèdre grapes used for this rosé are sourced from vineyards on the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain. The vines benefit from the cool maritime influence, which helps maintain the acidity and freshness of the grapes. The soils are a mix of decomposed granite and clay, which enhance the wine’s mineral character. Sustainable farming practices are employed, focusing on natural vineyard management and minimal intervention to allow the true expression of the terroir.

The Babylonstoren Mourvèdre Rosé 2024 is designed to be enjoyed young and fresh, emphasizing its vibrant fruit flavors and refreshing acidity. It is aged in stainless steel tanks for a few months before bottling to maintain its purity and freshness. The wine does not see any oak aging, which keeps the profile bright and fruit-forward.

After hand-harvesting, the Mourvèdre grapes are gently pressed to extract the juice, minimizing skin contact to achieve the delicate pink color characteristic of this rosé. The juice is fermented at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks to preserve the fresh fruit flavors and aromatic intensity. The fermentation process is carefully monitored to ensure balance and finesse. The wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation, which helps retain its crisp acidity.

Babylonstoren is one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms, set at the foot of Simonberg in the Franschhoek wine valley. It has a fruit and vegetable garden of beauty and diversity, unique accommodation, fine food and wine, and evokes a sense of wellbeing. Our wines are produced in a state-of-the-art winery and are made to showcase the soils and climate where their grapes are grown. The Tasting Room sits adjacent to the Wine Cellar, offering views of the conical Babylonstoren hill, Simonsberg and the Banghoek Mountains. We have about 94 hectares (232 acres) under vine and produce 13 different grape varieties, with our highest vines – pinot noir and chardonnay – lying against Simonsberg at some 600 metres above sea level. Led by cellar master Charl Coetzee and winemaker Klaas Stoffberg, the farm’s 2011 harvest led to the first bottling of wine under the Babylonstoren label.