Rall Ancestral Cinsault Rose 2020

Rall wines was established in 2008 and is owned and run by young independent winemaker Donovan Rall. After graduating with a viticulture and oenology degree from Stellenbosch University in 2005 and extensive travels and harvests all over in the next few years, Donovan returned to SA in 2007 for a season in the Swartland. Here he found his inspiration for the Mediterranean varietals and now makes boutique wines under his own label from old vineyards in the Swartland and Stellenbosh. The winemaking is simple, with each parcel allowed to ferment and mature naturally before blending in a renovated cellar in the Swartland.

Bottle Pressure: 2–4 atmospheres (ATM) or 30–60 psi

Methode Ancestrale is an inexpensive but risky and difficult-to-control method of producing sparkling wine, and almost certainly the oldest, in which the primary fermentation is stopped before completing, and a secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle, ending when the yeast cells deplete the supply of residual sugar. There is no dosage, or sugar addition, to kick-start the secondary fermentation, and the wine is not disgorged to remove any sediment or lees remaining afterward.