Rosé 2020, Bradford Mountain Estate Vineyard

In 2020, I was excited to have the opportunity to make our “Big Pink” Rosé blend by bringing together hand-selected fruit from a few blocks in our Bradford Mountain Estate Vineyard. These selected blocks included small plantings of field-blended Zinfandel, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Petite Sirah. Towards the middle of September we walked the vineyard, picking small amounts of clusters from certain varieties. The grapes that remained would further develop and intensify before we harvested them for our estate red wines. Each lot we picked was kept separate and soaked on skins for just a few hours before the juice was pressed off. With only this limited amount of skin contact, the Rosé developed its gorgeous color. With the intense minerality and lean, racy acidity inherent in the resulting juice. I decided to employ full barrel fermentation and time on the lees, to enhance the flavors and develop a richer, fuller mouthfeel. With stirring the lees and tasting every few weeks, I very carefully chose the right time to bottle. I think this wine showcases a truly unique interpretation of Rosé. The mountain terroir brings such vibrancy to all the estate wines we produce, but it especially comes through in this small bottling.