Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Rosé of Pinot Noir 2006

Winemaker's Notes:

Bill and Susan Sokol Blosser planted their first vines in 1971 in the Dundee Hills. Back then there was no Oregon wine industry. Now Dundee, in the heart of the Willamette Valley, is the epicentre of Oregon Pinot Noir. Sokol Blosser estate vineyards are farmed organically and should receive full USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) organic certification in 2005. Local organic straw, organic cow and horse manure, grape pomace from the crush and organic rock phosphate contribute to the composting. The insect population is kept in check by a resident flock of bluebirds. The vineyards have been certified "green" by LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology, an international certification). And the underground barrel cellar, built to US Green Building Council standards, became the first winery in the country to earn the prestigious LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Pinot Noir thrives at Sokol Blosser and the exceptional red jory soils of the Dundee provide a good home. The vines range up to 30 years old and careful hand-sorting of fruit ensures that only perfectly ripe fruit makes it to the fermentation stage. Winemaker Russ Rosner uses an original technique for producing full-flavoured wines allowing for a post-fermentation soak of up to three weeks resulting in soft, supple tannins and a more complex wine. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels for approximately sixteen months followed by a further year in bottle. Aromas and flavours of black cherry, liquorice and mocha, smooth and supple, long and elegant. This fragrant wine would be pleasant lightly chilled and served with salmon, pork or mushroom risotto.