VINEYARD Rosella’s
CLONES Pisoni, 777, 828
ORIENTATION North/South
TRELLISING Uni-lateral cordon
SOIL Glacial alluvial
FERMENTATION 5-ton open tops, 1-ton bins/ 5 day cold soak / 9 day ferment / 100% de-stemmed
OAK 32% new French oak / 16 months
ALCOHOL 14.4%
pH 3.63
TA 6.2 g/L
AROMA
Black cherry, berry, citrus and rose petal.
PALATE
Strawberries, fennel, candied peel.
When we first met Gary Franscioni he gave us some sage advice as a condition to buying his grapes. He said, “you’ve got to make good wine and pay your bills on time.” So we did as we were told and have never looked back.
Gary is a farmer through and through and Rosella’s, named after his wife, is a testament to his commitment to quality. We only receive a small portion of this vineyard, bordering lemon groves on the slopes above the fertile valley below, but what we get has an exotic, spicy quality that shines.
Rosella’s experiences a maritime climate with strong coastal winds blown in from Monterey Bay. Foggy mornings with sunny, breezy afternoons keep these rolling slopes much cooler than the Salinas Valley just to the east. The setting is beautiful and the fruit quality equally breathtaking.
Fact of Note: Southeast facing slopes of the Santa Lucia range.
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.
