Rosé

Fall Release

Sonoma Valley

Tasting Notes

With its striking color and delicate floral nose, this dry Rosé promises to be something special. Aromas of honeydew melon, delicate white peach, and rose petal precede fruit-forward flavors of strawberry and pink grapefruit with a note of “wet stone” minerality. This silky wine finishes with refreshing, crisp acidity. A portion of the sales of this special Rosé will be donated to Breast Cancer research.

Vintage Notes

The 2017 growing season started out wet with record-breaking rainfall refreshing our vineyards after several dry years. The mild spring led to a timely bud break and good fruit set, followed by ideal conditions of cool mornings and warm, sunny days throughout the summer months. Our first grapes of the season were “blessed” on August 25, officially beginning the St. Francis harvest. A few days of intense heat at the start of September sped up ripening throughout the region. Well-timed picks throughout the month meant the majority of the fruit was in by the first week of October. Beautiful color, well-defined aromatics, and outstanding flavor are all evident in this year’s vintage.

Vineyard Notes

This unique Rosé comes from Sangiovese vines grown on the hills of Sonoma Valley. A popular Italian grape, it grows well in the Mediterranean climate of Sonoma, producing fruit with ripe red fruit flavors and bracing acidity. Zinfandel from two old-vine vineyards in Russian River Valley rounds out the blend along with a small percentage of Chardonnay, Syrah, and Mourvèdre from our Wild Oak Estate Vineyard.

Winemaker Notes

Our Rosé is made in the Provence style, using the saignée (French for bleed) method. This southern French style is considered by many to be the benchmark for dry rosés, producing wines that are fresh and crisp with a lovely blush color. Before fermentation begins, a small percentage of juice is bled off of the red skins before the skins can contribute much color or tannin. This special blend combines the saignée juice of Sangiovese and Zinfandel with touches of Chardonnay, Syrah, and Mourvèdre to add balance and additional flavor. The blend is fermented slowly in stainless steel tanks and then aged in neutral, red French oak barrels before bottling.