Nose
fresh, fragrant and fruit-forward aromas of ripe Bing cherry, raspberry and strawberry complemented by hints of floral spice.
Palate
Bright and vibrant on the palate, with crisp, yet succulent black cherry and red berry flavors, this beautifully textured, dry rosé turns citrusy on the finish, with refreshing mineral and light spice tones.
Growing Conditions
After abundant grape harvests in northern California from 2012 through 2014, the 2015 vintage produced notably lighter yields due to a cool spring and long flowering period followed by a somewhat uneven fruit set. Coupled with a warm, dry winter that fostered early bud-break and consistently mild summer weather with a few late-season heat spikes, this resulted in our earliest harvest ever. (Since Cakebread Cellars has been around since 1973, that’s saying something.) It also served to concentrate flavors in our pinot noir and syrah grapes while retaining their bright acidity, yielding a crisp, fragrant and beautifully textured rosé boasting deliciously vibrant flavors.
Winemaking
The pinot noir grapes for our 2015 Vin de Porche were hand-picked and night-harvested for freshness, then lightly pressed as whole clusters to extract just a blush of color. Our syrah fruit was also hand- and night-harvested, but went through the saigneé process, in which free run juice is bled from the grape must (skins and pulp) before the skins impart too much color. Overall, 52% of the juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks, 27% in stainless steel barrels and 21% in neutral French oak barrels. The blended wine was bottled early for freshness on January 28th, 2016.
Aging
3 months in 80% stainless steel barrels and 20% neutral French oak barrels
Food Pairing
grilled seafood and poultry dishes, country ham, summer salads and spicy Latin and Asian cuisines.
