2016 Tickled Pink

65% Merlot, 35% Viognier

1032 bottles produced.

12% ABV

Sold out – Sorry!

 

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Description

A co-fermentation of Merlot/Viognier, this is our third vintage for the rosé to have been entirely stomped by foot and, for all practical purpose, made and aged as a red wine. After a short two-day maceration, the red fruit was pressed onto the Viognier and completed fermentation on the white skins/stems. The wine was aged in barrel for nearly 15 months before bottling in November 2017, and a further 26 months in the bottle prior to its release in January 2021. Admittedly, this is an uncommon way of producing rosé but, in our view, this is what allows the full potential of these vineyards/grapes to be fully expressed, rather than being forced into a one-dimensional, all smily and obedient – if pretty – phenomenon…

The first thing you may notice, is that it is not pink at all, rather, pale reddish amber. It is immediately fascinating in its grip, rustic/textured charm, and aromatic complexity, but has the potential to age further, as well as our red wines. During the extended (and, potentially, yet further) aging, it has lost its archetypal “rosé innocence”, replacing it with unusual depth of character/expression and, for lack of better term – “wisdom”.

In our experience, our Tickled Pink rosés really come to their own at about 8-10 years from harvest. We urge you to explore this further and promise you will not regret it!

The grapes for this wine were grown in the granitic hills of Nevada County, California (Sierra Foothills).

Total Sulfur added: 35ppm, Alcohol: 12%, 86 cases produced.