Nose
Alluring raspberry, white peach, anise, honeysuckle and jasmine
aromas.
Palate
Expresses richness and compelling texture.
With abundant weight and body, it offers a beautiful mid-point between a white wine and a red.
Expressive earthy minerality from “the Stones,” as well as excellent natural acidity from early
harvesting, add poise and nuance, making this singular expression of rosé a stunning food
wine
Growing Conditions
Prior to a big cool down in the last several weeks of the growing season,
2013 was on track to be one of the hottest growing seasons in memory. Plenty of sunshine,
and a lack of any significant rain events, allowed us complete control over irrigation, which in
turn enabled us to fine tune crop size and fruit development. The end-of-season cool down
was perfectly timed, allowing us to keep the sugars low in the grapes harvested for this wine.
Harvest
Our rosé syrah blocks were picked on October 1st, with the grenache harvested on October
11th.
Winemaking
Adding additional complexity, all three of our syrah clones (Tablas Creek, Joseph Phelps
and 174) were used in this wine. Our approach to both the pressing and blending of this wine was extremely
gentle and guided by taste. The pressing was done very slowly using the lightest possible
press, and we assessed the color and taste regularly with the goal of minimizing tannins and
preserving the complexity of the aromas and flavors. Pressing was done in a non-oxidative
environment directly into tank. The syrah was fermented on its own for 10 days. When the
grenache was harvested 10 days later, we did blending trials with the grenache juice to assess
the ideal amount to include in the blend, at which point the syrah spent another 10 days cofermenting with the grenache until dryness was achieved.
Aging
After dryness, the wine spent
approximately two and a half months on the lees to build richness and texture. To preserve
acidity and character, malolactic fermentation was prevented. In addition, no new oak was
used, and as is the case with all of our wines, no water or acid was added.
Food Pairing
Pairs seamlessly with poultry and richer foods from the sea.
