Description
Vrede en Lust Jess Rosé 2026 is a bright, fruit-driven Paarl rosé with Pinotage at the heart of its character. Named after owner Dana Buys’s eldest daughter, Jessica-Lee, the wine is made specifically as a rosé rather than as a by-product of red wine production, with fruit harvested at different stages of ripeness to build freshness and complexity.
The nose and palate show ripe strawberry, sour cherry, watermelon, and cranberry, with a gentle spice note adding extra detail. The fruit is juicy and expressive, but bright acidity keeps the wine lively and balanced, while brief lees aging adds a touch of texture. It would pair well with fresh salads, grilled chicken, charcuterie, light seafood dishes, or simply served well chilled on a warm afternoon.
Made for early enjoyment, this is an expressive, approachable rosé with enough fruit, freshness, and texture to keep it interesting at the table.
Ratings/Accolades:
Prescient Rosé Report 2023: 92 Points (One of the highest scores a South African dry rosé has ever achieved)
The nose and palate show ripe strawberry, sour cherry, watermelon, and cranberry, with a gentle spice note adding extra detail. The fruit is juicy and expressive, but bright acidity keeps the wine lively and balanced, while brief lees aging adds a touch of texture. It would pair well with fresh salads, grilled chicken, charcuterie, light seafood dishes, or simply served well chilled on a warm afternoon.
Made for early enjoyment, this is an expressive, approachable rosé with enough fruit, freshness, and texture to keep it interesting at the table.
Ratings/Accolades:
Prescient Rosé Report 2023: 92 Points (One of the highest scores a South African dry rosé has ever achieved)
The grapes were harvested specifically for rosé production at optimal ripeness, with picking taking place during the cool early morning hours to preserve freshness and delicate aromatics. Fruit was harvested at different stages of ripeness to contribute a broader range of flavors, with the individual components fermented separately in stainless steel tanks. The wine spent a short period on the lees to build texture before the three cultivars were blended and bottled.
Winemaker: Karlin Nel
Winemaker: Karlin Nel
Vrede en Lust was founded in 1688 by a Flemish Merchant called Jacques de Savoye. The Governor of the Cape allocated this farm to De Savoye, who fled Europe with his wife, Marie-Madeleine le Clerq, due to religious persecution. After 70 days at sea, they arrived in Table Bay on 26 April 1688 on the 160ft Oosterland.
The scene shifts to the Drakenstein, sparsely populated with only 23 Dutch freeburgers having settled there before. The valley is majestically beautiful, though quite rugged, with dense forests, game, lion and leopard, and the only human inhabitants, some nomadic Khoi. The pioneers lived in simple clay and reed homes.
This is where De Savoye became the owner of a magnificent piece of land against the foothills of the Napoleonsberg (today known as the Simonsberg). He called his farm Vrede en Lust (Peace and Delight/Eagerness), nurturing visions of a rural paradise where he could spend his last days. He immediately started improving the 55 Ha of land that starts at the Bergrivier valley floor and runs up the eastern foothills of the majestic Simonsberg Mountain.
The scene shifts to the Drakenstein, sparsely populated with only 23 Dutch freeburgers having settled there before. The valley is majestically beautiful, though quite rugged, with dense forests, game, lion and leopard, and the only human inhabitants, some nomadic Khoi. The pioneers lived in simple clay and reed homes.
This is where De Savoye became the owner of a magnificent piece of land against the foothills of the Napoleonsberg (today known as the Simonsberg). He called his farm Vrede en Lust (Peace and Delight/Eagerness), nurturing visions of a rural paradise where he could spend his last days. He immediately started improving the 55 Ha of land that starts at the Bergrivier valley floor and runs up the eastern foothills of the majestic Simonsberg Mountain.
