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The Vintage
The 2005 vintage was outstanding, with cool, even
temperatures
producing a high quality crop. The Pinot Noir harvest started on
September 9th and finished on October 24th. The extended growing season
produced fine, fully mature fruit, with a graceful style and very clear
expression of the Santa Lucia Highlands terroir.
Vinification & Aging
Grapes are hand-sorted in the vineyards and at the
winery and
are completely de-stemmed. Whole-berry fermentations are inoculated
with RC212, D254, and Assmanshausen yeasts, along with some native
yeast fermentations. Small, open top fermenters with manual punch downs
are utilized for optimum extraction while maintaining an elegant
structure. The primary fermentation finishes in 10-12 days. The wine is
transferred to a combination of medium and medium plus toast Burgundy
barrels, of which 40% are new for malo-lactic fermentation and 11
months of aging. The wine was bottled, unfined, in August 2006.
Tasting Notes
The 2005 Rosella’s Pinot Noir shows boysenberry, black cherry, nutmeg,
vanilla, cola and rose petal on the nose. The palate shows full-bodied
yet elegant Pinot Noir suppleness, with additional notes of chocolate
and cranberry. The wine closes with soft, integrated tannins.
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