Benessere Sangiovese Napa Valley Rosato 2004

Winemaker's Notes:

Vintage: The 2004 vintage was early and light. Budbreak occurred on March 10th, the earliest in the last decade. A cool and dry spring followed with grape cluster counts down for most varieties. A warmish summer and a light crop resulted in one of the earliest harvests of recent years. Almost all varieties were down in yield, with Sangiovese being no exception. Several sections of our vineyard were sources for this Rosato. The grapes for this wine have been hand-harvested and sorted prior to destemming. Winemaking: Rosato is made from the "saignée" or juice letting of the Sangiovese "must" at harvest. The freshly crushed berries yield a pink juice that is drawn off of the fermentor (after approx. 12 hours of skin contact) and fermented separately in stainless steel and French oak barrels. The resultant wine is a dry, stylistic expression of a white-rosé that is meant to be consumed young, and slightly chilled. Very popular in France and Italy, this type of wine is gaining rapid acceptance and a cult following in the U.S. Tasting Notes: Our 2004 Rosato di Sangiovese has a beautiful medium pink-rosé color, with strawberry-watermelon on the nose and a fresh, fruity strawberry-cherry flavor on the palate. It exhibits a clean, crisp character in the mouth and a smooth finish. This versatile and food-friendly wine should be paired with honey-baked ham, grilled chicken-apple sausage, tuna nicoise salad and mild cheeses. Enjoy this wine today with food, friends and family!