Primitivo Rosé 2021

Appellation:

Shenandoah Valley

Winemaker Notes:

Our Primitivo Rosé grapes were harvested by hand August 20, 2021 at a brix of 22.4 and pH 3.4 and were whole cluster pressed with <1 hour skin contact, just long enough to get a Provence style light rosé color and some characteristic skin flavors imparted. It was then fermented dry (no residual sugars) at cool winery room temperatures in special egg-shaped “Apollo” Flextanks and we did secondary malolactic fermentation. The Apollo tanks have the advantage of a convection fermentation, meaning the gases constantly roll up and down the center which stirs solids continuously for maximum flavor extraction.

The Rosé has some of the characteristic tasting notes of Primitivo - plum, dried cherries, vanilla, apple. It will best be enjoyed chilled as an appetizer wine or paired with typical foods for white wines, with a slightly more robust and distinct flavor due to the Primitivo grapes and flavor infusion from skin contact.

Vineyard Notes:

Our older vine Estate Primitivo grows on a steep hillside in front of the “Casa” at 2,000-foot altitude in the granitic and volcanic soil of our vineyard estate in the Shenandoah Valley of the Sierra Foothills. It is grafted on special drought-tolerant rootstock which allows it to dig deep in this soil for water and we dry-farm it. It thrives in the warm daytime breezes from the Central Valley and cool Sierra evenings, a 30-degree swing in temperature, a climate similar to the best growing region in Italy for this grape.