A glass full of sunshine.
The popping of corks is an essential part of the festive soundtrack… and Rhebokskloof has a bubbly sure to bring joy to any occasion. The scenic Paarl wine estate’s Flatrock Sparkle, with its upfront fruit and soft bubble, won gold at the Gilbert and Galliard 2023 International Challenge Awards. It’s a beautifully balanced and approachable bottle of bubbles that also wins in the affordability stakes.
A sparkling wine made for celebrations
“The Flatrock Sparkle is a festive wine, so goes very well with the holiday season coming up, to celebrate life,” says winemaker Rolanie Lotz. It’s a sparkling wine (not a cap classique), the bubbles produced by infusing CO2 into the wine before bottling. “The aim is to make a nice fruity, easy-drinking wine. The RS (residual sugar) is just above 10 so it’s still classified as a brut, but not bone dry. So it also appeals to people who prefer sweeter sparkles,” she says.
Rhebokskloof Flatrock Sparkle NV
The Flatrock Sparkle is a blend of chenin, chardonnay and grenache, all of the white cultivars planted on the farm. “We make the chardonnay in the same way as our cap classique base wine,” says Rolanie, “harvested quite early to bring down the alcohol level, and kept on the lees. We have one small block of grenache blanc that we use to add a little bit of character and palate weight. The chenin and grenache blanc we pick a little riper to get the nice fruit flavours, and we blend to get the end result.”
The tasting notes describe it as bursting with fresh summer fruit, white peach, and nectarine prominent on both the nose and the palate. Soft mousse and well rounded, with just the right balance of sweetness to keep it alluring and acidity to keep it together.
“We do a lot of weddings and functions on the farm and our Flatrock Sparkle is great (and affordable) for pre-drinks, appetisers and toasts,” says Rolanie.
When to drink Flatrock Sparkle
“There’s a lot to celebrate at this time of year, and to forget about (like loadshedding!). This is a nice vibrant summer wine, it’s got everything you need to celebrate with,” says Rolanie. The light fruitiness takes you effortlessly from festive toasts (it pairs beautifully with sweet and salty appetizers like a prosciutto-wrapped melon) to sundowners on the beach and chilled picnics in the park, lunch, dinner, and even brunch. Rolanie says, “As a winemaker, I wouldn’t usually recommend mixing wine, but I’ve had this in mimosas as well and it works very well.”
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