J.C. Le Roux Pinot Noir Rosé – Fruity, fleshy and elegantly robust
FACT SHEET – J.C. Le Roux Pinot Noir Rosé 2006 The House of J.C. Le Roux The House of J.C. Le Roux, the first cellar dedicated entirely to the craft of making sparkling wine in South Africa is located in the heart of the picturesque Devon Valley on the outskirts of Stellenbosch. The cellar is the country’s leading sparkling wine producer and is recognised for its craftsmanship and expertise to make the finest Méthode Cap Classiques. These premier vintage Cap Classiques are created in the state-of-the-art cellar in the time-honoured French method of secondary bottle fermentation, known as Méthode Champenoise.
The vineyards Meticulous care that starts in the vineyard, has gone into the production of JC Le Roux Pinot Noir Rosé 2006. The Pinot noir grapes were handpicked from low-trellised vineyards in the Stellenbosch region planted from 1990 to 1995 at altitudes of between 145 and 320 m above sea level. Facing south west, north and south east, the vines grow in soils with excellent water-retention properties varying from sandy to weathered granite and yellow/brown clay loam soil on a light clay subsoil. The vines were cultivated under dryland conditions, except for some supplementary irrigation on sandy soils.
The winemaking J.C. Le Roux Pinot Noir Rosé is a blend of 98% Pinot noir and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot. The grapes were harvested from mid January to mid February at 18,5º - 20º Balling. The yield of seven tons per ha was carefully placed in small baskets to prevent bruising. In the cellar, the grapes were crushed and de-stemmed and the juice settled overnight. The clear juice was racked the following morning and inoculated with Prisse de Mousse yeast, a French yeast strain which results in the typical yeasty character of a fine Méthode Champenoise-style sparkling wine. The wine was fermented for 14 days at 15º C and underwent malolactic fermentation. Secondary fermentation took place in the cool controlled climate of the maturation cellar after which the wine was left to mature for a further 19 months on the lees and the sediment removed by the traditional method of remuage and degorgement.
Winemaker’s comments: Elunda Basson
This Cap Classique Rosé delights the mind as much as the eye. J.C. Le Roux Pinot Noir Rosé 2006 is a fresh and lively MCC. It has a salmon pink hue with well-developed maturation characters complemented by subtle tones of biscuits, nuts and yellow raisins. The wine displays a perfect balance between freshness and maturation showing a full-round palate with lingering aftertaste of red berries and raisins.
