The Vintners Voice

Spring is around the corner and in my cellar that means it time to get my Rosé of Pinot Noir bottled. Since Patton Valley Vineyard is, for the most part, a Pinot Noir producer I take great joy in the difference in mindset Rosé production demands.

That mindset is very important to the style of Rosé I produce. I have been told by many winemakers, consumers and sommelier’s that my Rosé is among the best in Oregon (some say the United States) and, not to be arrogant, I have to agree. Again, it is the mindset.

First of all I see Rosé as a confused wine. It doesn’t know if it is supposed to be red or white, it sort of suffers from issues similar to those described as “transgender”. This is especially so of Rosés of Pinot Noir. In my opinion Pinot Noir, more specifically its phenolic and color profile, is poorly suited to Rosé production. The key to good Rosé, in my opinion, is minimizing bitter phenolic compounds. The problem with Pinot Noir is that if you want color you must extract it and when you do you get bitter phenolics. Most Rosé of Pinot Noir is made by red winemakers whose job is to maximized phenolics; minimizing phenolics just isn’t part of their skill set. In addition the vast majority of Rosé is a byproduct of red wine production, the result of Saignée or the bleeding off of juice from red wine fermentations to increase their concentration. And let’s not forget the tendency to bottle Rosé with significant amounts of residual sugar. Rosé therefore is like the red headed step child of the wine world (Disclaimer, I AM a redheaded step child).

The way I approach Rosé, my mindset, is to focus on what the final wine should be and work backwards. At Patton Valley most of the Rosé we produce is not from Saignée, it is not a byproduct. I designate certain blocks of the vineyard to be made into Rosé and farm them accordingly. I also strive to minimize phenolic compounds. I do this by keeping skin contact to a minimum; instead crushing the grapes and pressing them immediately. Though this sacrifices some color, it creates a wine of purity, a more than fair trade off in my opinion. The wine is then settled until clear and fermented until dry, bone dry. I think another thing that sets my Rosé apart isn’t what I do but what I don’t do. I employ no malolactic fermentation and never stir the lees; this maintains fruit intensity and acidity as tight as a piano string. Once fermentation is complete I sulfite the wine and let it rest on the lees for 3-4 months; this keeps the wine fresh and creates some weight and roundness. The result is a pure and crisp wine that drinks well cool, goes great with foods and better with friends. What I am going for is the perfect sipper for spring and summer.

Interested? Stay tuned to the website of Patton Valley Vineyard for the Rosé release!