Despite my general meh feelings about rosé, I am here for deeply coloured saigneé and oak aged rosés…
…so obviously Vine Venom’s flor aged rosé had me even more excited.
The Wine:
Medium salmon in colour. Instant briny saline notes: kelp, sea fog, miso broth. And just below this are medium intensity rose petals, red cherries, strawberries, red apples, tart red plums, cinnamon, vanilla, maybe a touch of cloves, and a hint of coriander.
Dry, medium bodied, medium+ acidity, medium alcohol, very very subtle low tea like tannins (that you’d only mention if you’re on the same hellish journey that I’m on), and a shorter finish that makes you want to take another sip. The palate is similar to the nose with added musk, ripe oranges, orange sherbet, and even more defined metallic salinity.
Conclusion:
Balance (1) + Length (0) + Intensity (½) + Complexity (1) = A very good wine
Viti + Vini:
50% Carignan – this was aged under flor for 7 months and a portion was maderized for added richness and roundness. There’s also 50% Touriga Nacional. Both grapes are sourced from the Paardeberg, naturally fermented, low sulphur, and aged in old barrels.
Final thoughts:
WAY less flor than I’d anticipated! Which, let’s be honest, is probably a good thing as not everyone wants to dive head first into Fino Sherry. It’s ultimately a more savoury rosé…but still pretty AF.
Samantha says: “…if you compare to Vin Jaune or Sherry it’s about 1/10 of the time you’d expect with those styles. So it’s definitely just a fine “hint” of flor which adds a more salty, mineral and marzipan/almond note. It’s never my intention to make wines that are overly geeky or intimidating- I want them to be intriguing and unique, but not scary for the average wine drinker.”
“I was inspired by Spanish rosé – mainly Lopez Heredia’s Vina Tondonia rose so a wine that has structure, weight & length… so not something you find here in SA so I’m glad to be making waves in the rosé scene here”
Find the Wine:
https://www.instagram.com/vinevenom/
