2007 Rosé

{Walla Walla Valley}

Vineyard Notes

Made with 67% Syrah and 33% Viognier entirely from our estate vineyards, this 2007 Rosé is another beauty! We’ve blended the cooler, later ripening Forgotten Hills with the youthful Old Stones from the “hot rocks” down in Milton-Freewater. The crisp acidity and natural balance of the mature fruit from Forgotten Hills was a great complement to the leaner and darker fruit from Old Stones. On the heels of outstanding vintages in 2005 and 2006, the 2007 vintage will deliver another round of stellar wines from the Walla Walla Valley. Cool fall temperatures allowed the fruit to hang and develop ripeness at an ideal pace. Yields were lower than normal, which provided more concentrated flavors and darker color extraction.  

Winemaking Notes

We’re striving for a dry to slight off-dry profile, reminiscent of a European style rosé that is refreshing to drink in the hot sun. The Syrah was crushed, de-stemmed and cold soaked overnight to achieve desired extraction. We then hand-selected certain Viognier clusters and added them into the Syrah for immediate pressing and stainless steel tank fermentation. After partial malolactic fermentation, we added a bit more Viognier to optimize acidity and color before allowing the wine to complete its aging in a combination of tank and barrel.

This wine is meant to be served ice cold in sweltering hot temperatures, ideally poolside! For drinking during the “off season,” a red wine cellar temperature will liven up the aromatics and underlying fruit profile. These aromatics deliver a refreshing combination of strawberry and watermelon (think Jolly Rancher), followed by a mouthful of strawberry shortcake (Klicker’s style!). Last year, we had many folks say to us “I don’t like rosé” who then after trying our 2006 vintage bought several cases. We were also overwhelmed with requests during the warm summer months, but it was sold out by early June. The 2007 vintage has every bit of that same potential!

• Wine Profile (pdf)