2008 Rosato di Sangiovese

Finally we offer you a classic "Rosato" which is Italian for a dry rosé.  We hope you enjoy this youthful, refreshing summer wine meant to consume at any occasion.  Our Sangiovese grapes are grown mid-valley alongside Rutherford Crossroad.  They stem from the famed Italian Grosso clone, particularly noteworthy in Tuscany.  We hand harvested 1.87 tons on a cool Sept. 18th morning when the pH and acid were in perfect balance. 

Fermentation and ageing:

We Processed the juice for this wine by whole cluster pressing the grapes for over 9 hours in the late summer heat to leach out as much color as possible from thin Sangiovese grape skins.  The pressed off juice was racked two days later to a stainless steel tank for a drawn out cold fermentation at 55 degrees Fahrenheit for over five weeks.  Special yeast was used for the fermentation.  After a complete dry fermentation we racked the wine to netural six and seven year old barrels for barrel ageing and lees stirring.  the wine did not go through malolactic fermentation.  We just bottled 111 cases on June 3rd.  A big thank you to all of you Saddleback fans who helped us out on bottling day.

Characteristics:

This wine has delightful aromas of red cherries and strawberries.  The taste is crisp and clean with a cranberry flavored mouthfeel.  Serve chilled for all occasions and with most any foods.  Tasty and juicy to boot!