California

Rosé is something that most people don’t take seriously, but in order to make a delicious rosé a certain seriousness of intent is required. For that reason we utilize our best techniques of fine white wine making in crafting rosé. We start with grapes that are just ripe in order capture freshness and zest, and then whole cluster press and barrel ferment the juice in older French oak barrels. The 2012 rosé remained on the lees and partially went through the acidity softening malo-lactic fermentation (because it was just too tart!) and was bottled March 5th.

Delicate floral aromatics and zingy natural acidity makes this wine a perfect match for every imaginable cuisine from hot and peppery to rich and creamy. It is totally dry and utterly delicious to drink today.

Adam’s notes:

The base for this wine is a section of Roll Ranch Syrah (52%) (Ojai Valley, Ventura County, California) that provides a great textural and mineral element. This is augmented with spicy cool climate syrah from Bien Nacido (19%)(Santa Maria Valley), grenache Bien Nacido (15%) and grenache from John Sebastiano Vineyard (8%)(Santa Barbara County appellation, just outside of Santa Rita). The only trick involved in making this rosé was the addition of a small amount of white wine (3% chardonnay, 1.5% viognier and 1.5% riesling), and this helped bring out its pretty aroma.

Vinification: 100% Neutral French Oak | Barrel Aging: 5 Months