Manley Private Cellar is excited to announce the release of its first ever rosé wine that has officially been launched on 4 January this year. This maiden rosé is the proud creation of the newly-appointed winemaker Joshua van Blommestein, and produced under the brand new ownership of German entrepreneur, Markus Ehehalt. The 2020 vintage will be released under two distinctive labels, namely “Unschuld” and a limited edition version, “Marista”.
The rosé is an elegant blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with a soft orange-pink hue, displaying characteristics of fresh roses, young peach and soft plum on the nose and palate, with a slightly sweet floral undertone.
“The wine was aged in French oak barrels for three months on 30% primary lees, contributing to a neat creaminess on the palate. The goal was to produce rosé wine that has good structure and feeling, a popular trend in S.A. at the moment. This rosé has a wide aroma spectrum on the palate and nose with refreshing but not overpowering acidity,” states winemaker, Joshua Blommestein.
With regards to harvest, Joshua explains that the weather conditions during the 2020 vintage were very optimal for the vines. He states that in the cellar the wines have shown well-developed primary characteristics from the grapes themselves. The recorded wind during the flowering and berry-set stages was the major reason for smaller berries, offering an intensive extraction from the grape skins that provided deeper and more structured wines.
Unschuld Rosé 2020
Unschuld, the German word for “innocence”, is the creative brainchild of new Manley Wine Estate owner Markus Ehehalt and business associate, Elias Kuhl Mihopulos. The theme of the Unschuld label is love, passion, loss of innocence as well as diversity.
This Manley Private Cellar virgin rosé is a metaphor for the innocent curiosity, candid fondness, and carnal desire that pure love provides. The label represents a young couple falling in love, throwing caution to the wind and giving in to burning passion.
Only 3000 bottles have been produced of the Unschuld rosé that will mostly be exported to Europe with only a small percentage of the stock available in South Africa to purchase directly from the Manley cellar door.
Marista: Fearless Front-line Fighter Limited Edition Rosé 2020
Marista Smith is the muse behind this unique label, and she is a young and aspiring medical doctor. Winemaker Joshua van Blommestein wanted to create a custom label in her honour for the self-sacrificing service she provides to the public as a medical professional, and as an elegant personalized gift to celebrate their romantic relationship.
The aptly named Marista rosé is also Manley Wine Lodge’s emblem of appreciation and admiration of all the front-line female doctors and medical staff that are serving during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. They are sacrificing precious time with their families and put themselves into great danger to selflessly attend to the needs of their patients. Manley honours them with this delicate blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The beautiful light orange-pink tone and sweet floral notes represent their soft femininity, deeply caring nature and steadfast female bravery.
About Manley Wine Estate
Manley Wine Estate is a boutique wine farm and private cellar with bed and breakfast accommodation. The estate is located in the beautiful countryside of the Tulbagh Valley in the Cape Winelands.
The estate was established by David Manley Jordan who purchased the farm in June 1996, and decided to build his own cellar and gradually produced his own private wines. Today Manley Private Cellar is a registered, multi award-winning wine estate, mainly producing single varietal premium red wines.
In 2020 Manley Wine Estate and Private Cellar was acquired by Markus Ehehalt, a German engineer with a great enthusiasm for wine and love for the Tulbagh area. Markus received formal education in Germany to dive deeper into the sophisticated world of wine. His vision is to re-establish Manley Wine Estate into a prestigious boutique winery and guest lodge, a small haven in the countryside of Tulbagh.
Contact Manley Wine Estate and Private Cellar
Tel: +27 (0)23 007 0009 (bookings) | +27 (0)66 213 3854 (cellar)
Email: office@manleywinelodge.co.za
Website: www.manleywinelodge.co.za
Address: Main Winterhoek Road, Tulbagh, Western Cape, 6820, South Africa
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ManleyWineEstate
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manleywineestate
TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.co.za/Profile/manleywinelodge