2004 Pinc FroidI had no plan to make rosé when the 2004 harvest began, but, as they say, life is what happens when you're making plans. The grapes we worked with in '04 seemed like they had been grown in France! They had such marvelous acidity, such moderate sugar levels. So much depth and intensity of flavor. One lot of Grenache was in such great shape I felt compelled to draw off a few gallons per ton for rosé, because I just knew it would be delicious. And the Counoise from Paso Robles, usually so great for red wine, raisined quite severely in a heat spike, and the only way to keep the heavy cooked fruit taste out of the wine was to soak it briefly for a bit of color, then press it off to ferment without the raisins. Voila! The happy accident. The Intuition and the Blind Luck! FRUIT SOURCES: Counoise from Rozet Vineyard, in Paso Robles, grown in clay-limestone. Grenache from Eaglepoint Ranch, high above Ukiah valley, in Mendocino County. WINEMAKING NOTES: Grenache drained from an open-top fermenter, (in which the red wine from those grapes was to ferment) after an overnight soak, and transferred to stainless steel barrels. The Counoise was destemmed, soaked overnight, and pressed into a stainless tank, into which the fermenting Grenache was added. Wine finished at 13.2% alcohol, and underwent spontaneous malolactic fermentation. It was racked in January, and bottled Valentine's Day. WINEMAKERS TASTING NOTES: WINEMAKER'S TASTING NOTES: It's a pretty orange-pink color. Fresh, enticing aromas of raspberry, peach-skin, tangerine-zest, and pepper mark the nose. It's lean and vibrant on the palate, the kind of wine that whets the appetite, then washes down the food, and invites more. Long, mouth-watering finish. WARNING: If you've ever enjoyed idle time in the South of France, this wine may cause a severe case of cultural disorientation. Tres Provençal! Please pass the octopus and the aioli! TOTAL PRODUCTION: 105 cases. SUGGESTED RETAIL: $15.00 AVAILABLE: April 2005 Produced and Bottled by Intuition and Blind Luck |
