VINEYARD Rosella’s Vineyard
CLONES Pisoni, 828, 777
ORIENTATION North/South
TRELLISING Uni-lateral cordon
SOIL Glacial alluvial
FERMENTATION 71% concrete, 20% wood, 9% stainless steel, 5% whole cluster
OAK 23% new French oak for 16 months, Finished in 100% wood tank for 4 months
ALCOHOL 14.4%
pH 3.6
TA 5.59 g/L
AROMA
Elegant raspberry and rose petal are enhanced with playful notes of blood orange and homemade marshmallow.
PALATE
Explosive, yet gentle with profound balance and integrated tannins followed by a long finish.
Planted by legendary winegrower Gary Franscioni in 1996 and named after his wife, Rosella’s Vineyard features the coveted Pisoni clone and is situated in the northernmost part of the Santa Lucia Highlands. Strong wind and fog off Monterey Bay ensure a long, temperate growing season in this region.
To accentuate this wine’s most graceful qualities, it was fermented with 5% whole cluster and aged in a modest 34% of new oak barrels. As the wine opens, cascading flavors of raspberry and rose petal mingle with delicate undercurrents of orange blossom and lemon zest, with supple, integrated tannins drawing the wine to a gentle, lingering finish.
Fact of Note: Most northern and coolest vineyard we source from within Santa Lucia Highlands.
THE SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS IS recognized for producing some of California’s most powerful yet intricate and impeccably balanced Pinot Noirs. Perched upon the East-facing terraces of the Santa Lucia Mountains, the vines are consistently cooled by wind and fog drawn from the depths of Monterey Bay.
Within this region is the city of Salinas, an agricultural town surrounded by fruit and vegetable growers with a comprehensive climate blended of coastal breezes and sun that is ideal for grape-growing. There are plenty of favorite local hangouts to discover if you make the stop. The BBQ is truly magical and worthy of a detour in and of itself.
