The Mediterranean conjures images of beautiful blue oceans, fields of lavender, acres of olive or lemon trees, charming villages, passionate people with foreign accents, generous plates of food and wine glasses filled to the brim. While all of these would be accurate, the area along the Mediterranean coast consists of twenty-two countries across three continents and along a shared coastline of 46 000 km, so there is much more to “The Mediterranean” than anchovies and rosé.
Having said that, the Mediterranean is important to La Motte because of the connection to France’s Provence province, exactly the spot for anchovies and rosé…
La Motte was named after the small village, La Motte-d’Aigues in Provence and the Vin de Joie Rosé wine is inspired by these famous, delicate pink Provençal wines. As Provence reaches along the coastline of the Mediterranean sea and the renowned French Riviera or Côte d’Azur, it is very much at the heart of the Mediterranean and therefore the inspiration for October is both because of the connection to the area and the fact that we are releasing the latest vintage of the Vin de Joie Rosé – a wine that just about loves each and every Mediterranean flavour on your plate!
A Wine of Joy
The 2024 La Motte Vin de Joie Rosé is a delicate shade of pink, varying between salmon and onion skin and in appearance, typical of a Mediterranean style rosé. The nose is slightly restrained, but with well-defined melon, grapefruit and nectarine as well as a charming hint of sweet candy floss. The palate has an exceptional velvety feel for a dry wine and offers a pleasing elegance with mineral complexity and a fresh aftertaste of ripe nectarine.
A blend of 64% Grenache (Stellenbosch), 29% Mourvèdre (Franschhoek), 6% Shiraz (Elim) and 1% Cinsault (Franschhoek), the ultimate complexity of the wine can be contributed to the variety of terroir with all three of their main mother rock formations present in the soil types of the different vineyards – decomposed variations of shale, granite and Table Mountain sandstone, all contributing to the ultimate complexity of the wine.
The growing season for the 2024 vintage will be remembered for exceptional winter storms in the Franschhoek Valley. The cold weather initially resulted in a slow season, but it picked up during the hot, dry summer and eventually, harvest started slightly earlier than the previous two years. To ensure delicate handling, all vineyards are trellised and grapes were picked by hand. A dedicated Rosé-making protocol was followed from the vineyards to the cellar and the grapes were harvested on different dates as they ripened before being processed separately. In order to release as little colour as possible during crush, the grapes were cooled down overnight before being destemmed. Only the first six hundred litres, of which a big portion was free run juice, was used to make this wine.
A Plate of Joy
With winter a thing of the past, we are in the mood for fresh and easy plates to share, so do try some of their delicious Mediterranean-inspired recipes whether you are preparing a picnic, alfresco lunch or sunset snacks! The 2024 Vin de Joie Rosé is the ultimate partner to summery salads, charcuterie and seafood, it adores the comfort of paella with saffron and will even be a delicious companion on a cooler evening with a seafood soup such as the Provençal favourite, Bouillabaisse.
This summer, try some of these delicious recipes by Christine Capendale.
ALSO SEE: WATCH: Inside La Motte Bakery
