A crisp, dry rosé with ripe strawberry and raspberry, bright red cherry, citrus and a hint of creamy vanilla.
Bud break came early in 2010 and this vintage was colder than many in Russian River's recent history. Plenty of fog and very little heat filled the summer days. This weather produced a deliciously aromatic, fruity and very dry rosé. Ripe strawberry and raspberry on the nose burst into bright red cherry, citrus, fig and a hint of creamy vanilla. Features well integrated acidity and a long, refreshing finish.
As with our other wines, the fruit for this rosé was harvested at night to ensure cool temperatures when delivered to the winery. On arrival, the fruit was de-stemmed and put in tanks and left to stand for 12 hours at 45 degrees. After soaking for 12 hours, juice was pulled off the bottom and held in a separate tank, where it was cold fermented off the skins and seeds. This method of making rosé is called "saignée", which comes from the Latin root "to bleed". In essence we are "bleeding" the juice off the skins. Once fermentation was complete, the wine was racked to neutral French oak barrels where it was aged for six months.
Foppiano Vineyards sits on a 160-acre estate in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley, a highly acclaimed wine region in Northern California. The Foppiano family has been producing world class fruit on this land since its purchase in 1896 and now grows grape varieties that thrive in this temperate coastal region:Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Fifth generation Paul Foppiano manages the vineyards with a great respect for the land by limiting pesticide use and providing the highest level of care and maintenance.
Hard, aged cheeses like Gouda and Parmesan Reggiano
Lighter shellfish dishes
With so little production, we do not enter our Estate Rose into competitions or scoring publications.
Harvest Dates : Pinot Noir (October 1, 2010) & (Petite Sirah October 14, 2010)
Alcohol : 13.5%
pH : 3.35
Total Acidity : 0.585g/100ml
Residual Sugar : 0.03g/l
Bottled : February 22, 2011
Aging: Neutral French oak
Production: 180 cases
