Beringer Rose de Saignee 1998

To me, this wine demonstrates what I call the California advantage: winegrowing conditions that allow us consistently to harvest grapes at the peak of ripeness and flavor and the flexibility to choose the winemaking techniques we believe are best, from the most traditional to the most evolved. This wine begins with the fully ripe, pure fruit flavors of the grapes we can grow in our climates and soils and is made with a classic French technique known as saigné that beautifully preserves and heightens those flavors. The result is the really bold but completely dry flavor profile I wanted in a Rosé, layering berry-tinged Pinot Noir with spicy Syrah and bright, juicy Grenache. I consider it a kind of California meets Provence wine, combining the best of both worlds and great for savory sipping year round. -Ed Sbragia, Winemaster