Vineyard

During Harvest, as the Malbec grapes are sorted and pumped into the fermentation tanks, we drain off 15% of the juice to make the overall red wine darker. Called “saignée” by the French (which means to bleed), this technique intensifies the character of red wines. Thanks to our love of Rosé, we followed the French tradition and fermented it to produce Rosé. Due to the popularity of this wine, we now incorporate a second Rosé production technique: “direct to press”. We pick a small portion of the Malbec grapes and press it immediately.

In 2022, we had several atmospheric rivers which gave us the rainfall total we like, but the precipitation did not have a chance to sink in, so for growing purposes, it still seemed like drought conditions. We had a mild Spring and Summer with the exception of a couple days of 100°+ F in late June. The cool, foggy nights allowed the grapes to develop intense flavors. We began harvest on September 7.

Cellar

Using only Malbec grapes, we fermented the 2022 Rosé cold in a temperature-controlled stainless steel tank to retain its intense fruity components. We carefully monitored the temperature and rate of fermentation to ensure that the wine is fruit-forward and well-balanced with a fresh finish. The wine was bottled in February 2023.

Drinkability

These were the descriptors when the wine was released in April 2023: The 2022 Rosé opens with a lovely, fruit-forward bouquet of watermelon, powdered candies, ripe strawberries and rose petals. Bright, fresh and lively, it has a supple mid-palate and a long, lingering finish that makes it the perfect accompaniment for Summer.

At Harvest:

22.9° Brix sugar
0.70 g/100 mls acidity
3.25 pH

At Bottling:

13.4% alcohol
0.59 g/100 mls acidity
3.34 pH