When I found out that one of my favorite winegrowers in Beaujolais, M. Jean Paul Brun, had vinified some of his Gamay as pink wine, a bright light bulb went on in the recesses of this old brain, and it seemed almost unimaginable to me that this idea hadn’t caught fire years ago! And though I have yet to taste the aforementioned pink, I determined, last Fall, that I would set aside a portion of the Gamay from Witters Vineyard to attempt to produce something like what I imagined the Brun wine to be. When I try to think of the perfect rose, the attributes that leap to mind are: A) Freshness B)Subtle, irresistible perfume C) Lively acidity, leading to D) Lightness on the palate, despite E) effusive flavor. I don’t know of a single grape that can light up all five of these categories as successfully as Gamay, grown in the right spot, in a good season. And, without meaning to be too immodest, I think our attempt has succeeded handsomely. I can hardly wait to see what you think.

FRUIT SOURCE:

Fruit Source: Witters Vineyard, 3400’ elevation, roughly 15 miles east of Placerville, above Camino. Volcanic clay-loam soil, gentle slope to the North.

WINEMAKING NOTES:

Winemaking Notes: This was a fun wine to make. The grapes were picked early the morning of September 6th, destemmed into the membrane press, and held overnight to soak up some pigment from the skins. They were gently pressed first thing next morning, and the juice was transferred to tank, where the temperature was set at 58 degrees. After eight days, when just about a third of the grape sugar had been metabolized, we inoculated with a yeast strain originating in Southern France that had been isolated for the production of fruity roses (whatever that means). The wine fermented out dry in early October, and stayed on its primary lees until late January. It was bottled (under screwcap!) on the 13th of February, 2007.

WINEMAKER'S TASTING NOTES:

Winemakers’ tasting notes: It’s a pretty, vibrant pink-red, with an edge of blue. it’s got a fresh, bright nose, slightly grapey. You might smell wild strawberry, a little woodsmoke, a little pepper. Nervous and wild in the mouth, with great focus, and electric tension between sweetness of fruit and snappy acidity. Juicy, and long.

• Production: 340 cases produced
• Suggested Retail: Suggested retail $16.00
• Release Date: April 1, 2007

Produced and Bottled By Hook Or By Crook under the direction of Steve Edmunds, winemaker