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Tasting Notes

This dry Rosé is a beauty with a brilliant blush color and light to medium body. Aromas of crushed strawberries and delicate rose petals entice and lead to flavors of honeydew melon, raspberry crumble, and pomegranate. Refreshing, bright, and crisp with a lush finish.

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

Mourvèdre is a grape variety that grows well in the Rhone and Provence areas of France as well as our temperate Sonoma Valley Wild Oak Estate Vineyard. Mourvèdre’s rich flavors and structure make it an ideal complement to many blends. Here we’ve combined it with Zinfandel farmed from the Montecillo Vineyard high up in the Moon Mountain District.

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. The 2017 vintage is a blend of the saignée juice of Mourvèdre, Zinfandel and Sangiovese with a little Chardonnay 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.