Montemaggiore

The inaugural vintage of our Syrah Rosé displays a deep, vibrant ruby color. Carrying enough complexity to please the most discerning red wine drinkers, this dry wine is endlessly versatile and classically refreshing. Due to the small volume produced, this wine is available exclusively to wine club members.

In the Vineyard

Located on a mountainside high above Dry Creek Valley, the rocky soils of Paolo’s Vineyard produce intensely flavored grapes at naturally low yields. Using sustainable practices and organic materials, we farm our estate vineyards without chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides.

Flavor maturity and sugar maturity progressed in lockstep during the stellar 2007 growing season (typically sugar maturity far surpasses flavor maturity). The spring was quite dry, followed by a mild summer, punctuated by a heat spike in late August, and finally moderated by cool foggy weather in September. For the Rosé, we harvested only select bunches two weeks before picking the rest of the grapes for our flagship red wine.

In the Winery

Select Syrah bunches were hand-harvested in late September and brought less than 100 yards to our estate winery. There they were destemmed and crushed, carefully hand sorted at the berry level, and held for 36 hours on their skins to obtain the vibrant ruby color. After a gentle pressing in a stainless steel basket press in order to limit astringency, the juice was inoculated with yeast from Bandol (Provence, France) to emphasize mouthfeel. The three-week alcoholic fermentation took place in neutral oak barrels at 60°F. The wine aged for an additional five months in French oak barrels. Filtered.

On your Palate

The vibrant and intense ruby color of the 2007 Rosé divulges its gorgeous raspberry and strawberry flavors tempered by tangy acidity. Medium-bodied and round on the palate, the Montemaggiore Rosé carries enough weight and complexity to please the most discerning aficionados.

Endlessly versatile and classically refreshing, this sophisticated wine is an excellent match for a summertime al fresco meal. Pairs well with barbequed shrimp, pasta al pesto, tuna carpaccio, sautéed scallops, and avocado soup, Serve slightly chilled.

Technical Information

Varietal Blend 100% Syrah

Avg Sugar at Harvest 23.7° Brix

Alcohol 13.9%

Cases Produced 20

Optimum consumption 2008-2009

Cooperage 100% French

Percentage new oak 0%

Harvest Date Sept 26, 2007

Bottling Date Mar 2008

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