Big Easy Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé

This light and refreshing wine, is great as an aperitif or enjoy with salmon sashimi, delicate fish dishes and salad niçoise.

The year 2023 will go down in history as a vintage that posed several challenges for the vineyards. The season commenced with mild heat, which is favourable for budburst and initial growth. Despite temperatures remaining slightly below average, the vines seemed to be gearing up for an early harvest, with both Chenin and rose varieties ripening up to seven days earlier than usual. Consequently, these cultivars exhibited desirable levels of sweetness and ripeness during harvesting. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Cinsault grapes were harvested from individually-selected, low-yielding trellised vines from northwest-facing vineyards within the Stellenbosch appellation. With an altitude of 140 to 270 meters above sea level, together with the cooling influence of the Atlantic Ocean, the ripening period can be extended, resulting in wines with phenolic ripeness.

After fermentation the wine was transferred to old barrels for a 3-month period and left on the fine lees. Before bottling the wine was racked from the barrels, stabilised and filtered to ensure a fresh and aromatic wine in bottle.

The grapes were hand-picked in the early hours of the morning and brough to the cellar for processing. Whole bunches of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cinsault grapes were transferred straight into the membrane press. This whole bunch press action helped with preserving fruit and floral aromas while preventing the extraction of phenols or tannins from the skins. The pressed juiced was settled and racked before being inoculated for fermentation.

As one of South Africa's leading ambassadors and one of the most recognizable faces in the world of sport it is befitting that Ernie chose Stellenbosch to produce his wines. In 1999 the concept of Ernie Els Wines was born and with the help of award-winning winemaker Louis Strydom they produced the maiden 2000 vintage of Ernie Els - a 'classic' Bordeaux blend. The intention from the outset was to focus on delivering a quality product that could hold its own in the company of the world's finest wines.