Region
Long Island,
New York. Produced and bottled in Sagaponack, New York. Under
Winemaker/Technical Director Roman Roth's meticulous care, Wölffer
Estate Vineyard encompasses 55 acres and practices sustainable
agriculture. Similar in many respects to conditions in Bordeaux,
the local Bridgehampton loam soil, combined with the breeze from
the Atlantic, only 2.6 miles away, provides the perfect conditions
to achieve the ripeness and acidity necessary for producing
Wölffer's signature style: European elegance combined with the
typicity of their Long Island terroir.
Grapes
66% Merlot,
26% Cabernet Franc and 8% Chardonnay
Winemaker's
Notes
Light salmon
in color with a golden hue. Wonderful aromas of ripe pears, baked
apples and limes with elegant hints of fine cedar and yeast. The
mouth-feel is concentrated with subtle play between the ripe fruit,
fine nutty yeast and lively acidity, balanced by a long
finish. This is a very special Rosé and in Champagne jargon
would be called "natural".
Technical
Data
2010 was one
of the driest, warmest and best growing seasons in the history of
growing grapes on Long Island. Ripening was so advanced that the
key to a fresh and vibrant Rose was to pick up to 3 weeks earlier
than normal. The abundance of sun, combined with the cooler nights
in September (thanks to our unique ocean influence), brought forth
great ripeness and finesse while retaining good
acidity.
We specially
selected 3 different blocks for this Rose. The fruit was hand
harvested starting September 9th and finishing on September 19th.
The crop level varied from 3.0 - 4.0 tons per acre. None of the
varieties stayed on the skins and all were gently pressed. The
juice for all lots were well settled at 50˚ Fahrenheit and racked
into 7 year old French Barriques for classic barrel fermentation.
The warmer fermentation (up to 80˚ Fahrenheit), the long yeast
contact (3 months on the whole lees) and the traditional maturation
in Barriques resulted in a vibrant and fresh wine. The wine
fermented to complete dryness within 2 weeks and gentle Batonage
(the stirring of the lees) was done every 2 weeks afterwards.
After 3 months, the wine was gently racked and transferred into a
stainless steel tank. Malolactic fermentation was strictly avoided
to keep the lively acidity and pure fruit characters. The wine was
filtered and fined, and 640 cases 750ml and 33 cases 1.5 Liter were
bottled in March 2011.
Analyses
Brix at
Harvest
21
Alcohol
12.0%
Titratable
acidity
6.5 g/L
pH
3.35
Residual
Sugar
0.1%
Serving
Suggestions Serve chilled. This exciting wine is
so versatile that it will match well with practically any food. It
pairs especially well with hors d'oeuvres such as smoked salmon,
lobster, shrimp, marinated meat, and soft cheeses.