Fruit for this rosé hails from two Dutton Ranch vineyards in the Green Valley of the Russian River Valley. The Pinot was picked intentionally for a rosé at about 21˚ Brix, then direct whole-cluster pressed and fermented in a mix of stainless steel tank and neutral oak barrels. The lots were combined after dryness and allowed to sit on lees for about two months before bottling.
The acidity is profound and dominates the palate experience (its pH is 3.16 and the TA is 7.8 g/L, for the nerds out there), but the wine mixes levity with this pointed seriousness. The profile gets a kick from barely ripe strawberries and cranberry-lime, and the finish is linear and citric, but the enchantment is manifest in the aromatics, which suggest orchard blossoms, wet stone, and lemon thyme.
It absolutely demands food. Pair it with ceviche, oysters with mignonette, salads, sushi, raw things.
13.2% abv | $32 (sample) about 400 cases made
