Our 2007 Casatierra Vineyard Rosé of Syrah is a Californian expression of the rosés found in the South of France. In 2004, while visiting Provence and the Southern Rhône, we became fascinated with the remarkable variety of rosés found in the villages. Typically composed of Syrah, Grenache, Counoise, and Cinsault, these wines often exhibit refreshing character with a beautiful salmon color. Our 2007 Casatierra Vineyard Rosé of Syrah is made in a similar style. We started with fantastic fruit, fermented the juice in individual barrels, and aged the wine sur lies in neutral French oak for nine months to develop complexity. This resulted in a serious wine that belies the typical classification of American rosés as something simple, merely fermented in stainless steel and quickly bottled.

Tasting Notes

Aromas of strawberry, orange zest, and an initial hint of anise give way to strawberry and pomegranate on the palate. These gracefully transition to notes of dried cranberry and scone in a gentle, round finish. Representative food pairings are traditional bouillabaisse (if you're ambitious), a variety of charcuterie, or simply an intriguing plate of soft, moderately aromatic cheeses.

The Vinification

Our 2007 Casatierra Vineyard Rosé of Syrah is from the 877 clone harvested by hand from the top of the vineyard hillside on September 18, 2007. After sorting, destemming, and lightly pressing the fruit, we let the juice settle for two days, then racked the clarified juice into individual barrels. We fermented each barrel with GRE yeast, which we like for its moderate fermentation rate and excellent preservation of primary fruit characteristics. The fermentation completed over the course of seven weeks. Next, we carried out a partial malolactic fermentation, which served to lower the overall acidity and create a rounder mouthfeel. This was followed by a period of élevage sur lies for nine months in neutral French oak. Sur lies ageing rounds mouthfeel further and allows additional complexity to develop. This period in oak also contributed to the salmon color. Because we completed only a partial malolactic fermentation, we filtered the wine before bottling to ensure stability throughout its evolution. The wine was not fined or cold stabilized. As such, it may throw a modest sediment.

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