BABYLONSTOREN LAUNCHES ITS 2025 MOURVÈDRE ROSÉ AT THE RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW

By Admin | 1st April 2025

Babylonstoren’s Mourvèdre Rosé will be poured as the official rosé of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for the fifth consecutive year. To further enrich the occasion – and in a global first – Babylonstoren and The Newt in Somerset have collaborated to recreate a Karoo Succulent Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. The exhibition garden is a striking recreation of an arid, indigenous South African landscape, featuring a quiver tree forest towering over shimmering quartz and ancient rocks, in the heart of London. A veritable feat of planning and plantsmanship, deserving of many a toast. 

In much the same fashion, the current Mourvèdre Rosé vintage made its way to London to be poured at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show from 20 to 24 May 2025, where it will grace the glasses of socialites and avid gardeners alike.
 
After 2024’s wet winter and a cool spring, this year’s harvest got off to a leisurely start. The 2025 Mourvèdre Rosé benefited from an unhurried, steady and slow-ripening season, resulting in a particularly pleasing and well-rounded symphony of flavours. 
 
“Our unique location on the southernmost tip of the African continent means we have one of the earliest rosés to be harvested and bottled in the southern hemisphere. It remains an absolute honour to pour this brand-new vintage at the show in May,” says Babylonstoren cellar master Klaas Stoffberg.  
  
In the cellar, skin contact is kept to a minimum to ensure only the faintest blush of colour. The new wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks for three weeks, with one month of ageing on the fine lees. 
 
The result is a sophisticated yet playful rosé with an ethereal blush, assertive acidity and fresh, floral aromas of rose petals and pomegranate. The wine’s pairing repertoire extends beyond that of a classic white or red, with the reach of the red mourvèdre grape, yet in a lighthearted way.  
 
Rare roast venison pairs equally well as strawberries with Chantilly cream. With a lovely, broad presence on the palate, it rises to any big occasion with the same ease as relaxing poolside. The best match for this rosé, however, is the RHS Chelsea Flower Show – an event whose ethos aligns with that of Babylonstoren.  
  
“We admire the work that the RHS does,” says Charl Coetzee, commercial and production director at Babylonstoren. “Gardens are in our DNA, as we are one of only two RHS Partner Gardens in Africa. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show offers a wonderful opportunity to connect with an audience that appreciates the beauty of nature and craftsmanship – which makes it the perfect occasion for our rosé to bloom,” Charl says.  
  
Nestled in the picturesque Franschhoek Wine Valley, the Babylonstoren five-hectare  (12 acres) garden is framed by indigenous fynbos, natural streams and farmland on all sides. Orchards of abundant fruits and nuts, acres of vegetables, a macrocosm of pollinating insects, a palette of trees of historical or botanic significance and collections of clivias, cycads and succulents make up this botanical haven.  
 
It was opened to the public in 2010 after Babylonstoren’s owners had transformed the historic Cape Dutch farm to celebrate the Winelands’ farming community with sophisticated authenticity. With its holistic approach, Babylonstoren is a place where the warm South African spirit encompasses every aspect of the visitor experience.  
 
Wine production is one of the main arteries of the farm’s beating heart, adding to a holistic farm-to-table experience. Recognising the value of the local terroir and its potential to yield fruit of refined concentration and balance, the estate now counts 130 hectares (320 acres) under vine of 14 different grape cultivars.