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Meet Your Summer Sidekick
2023 Pinot Noir Rosé
With National Rosé Day on June 8, 2024, we thought we’d share some facts you might not know about rosé. Plus, meet our newest obsession - Sterling Pinot Noir Rosé. From strawberries to peaches, this rosé is a symphony of summer tastes waiting to tantalize your palate. Get ready to sip, savor, and welcome summer in style!
#1 Rosé can be made from almost any grape varietal
While most rosé wines are made from grenache, syrah, or pinot noir grapes, almost any red grape can be used to make rosé. To control the intensity of color and flavor, winemakers play with how much skin contact occurs during fermentation. Less skin contact results in a wine that’s lighter in color and flavor, while more create a deeper red color and more intense flavors.
#2 Rosé ages well
While rosé is typically associated with immediate enjoyment, it can actually age beautifully. Well-made rosé from high-quality vineyards will develop interesting tertiary characteristics after a few years in the cellar. However, when it comes to Sterling’s Rosé, we are all about embracing the present moment and opening the bottle.
#3 Rosé can be made in two very different ways
There are two main ways to produce rosé —maceration and saignée. Maceration involves allowing the grape juice to sit on the skins for a short period, extracting color and flavor. Saignée, on the other hand, is a byproduct of red wine production. It involves "bleeding off" some of the juice from the fermenting red grapes, which is then fermented separately to create rosé.
The Wine
The 2023 Pinot Noir Rosé delights the senses with its vibrant notes of freshly picked strawberries, juicy peaches, and a touch of citrus zest that harmonize beautifully on the palate. Subtle hints of creamy vanilla and a whisper of jasmine add a layer of complexity and charm to this exquisite rosé. With its refreshing acidity and a lingering finish, this wine is a perfect choice for al fresco gatherings, romantic dinners, or simply enjoying life's moments of joy and celebration.
Vineyard
The Sterling Vineyards Pinot Noir Rosé fruit hails from Ranch No. 9, located in the Los Carneros American Viticultural Area (AVA), at the southern tip of Napa Valley. Characterized by its rolling hills and cooling winds, Carneros' proximity to San Pablo Bay helps to temper heat events and foster higher acidity in the resulting fruit grown in the region. The region’s shallow clay loam soils and marine-influenced climate foster ripe aromatics of stone fruit and floral notes, ideal for the production of lush rosé wines.
Winemaking
This distinctive wine was crafted with Pinot Noir grapes that are grown specifically to showcase the attributes we desire in rosé. Picked earlier in the season at night to preserve freshness, the grapes are brought to the winery and gently pressed as whole berries while the fruit is still cool, with a brief skin contact to extract the ideal color. The juice was transferred to a stainless tank, fermented slowly at a cooler temperature, and then aged 6 months before bottling.
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