Mt. Beautiful Rose 2018
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Tasting
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Wine
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Wilfred
Wong
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
Traditionally made Rosé produced from Pinot Noir (76%) and Pinot Gris (24%) juice pressed off after a period of light skin contact and co-fermented in tank. Our 2020 vintage has a classic pale pink onion-skin color. It is an aromatic wine exhibiting wild berry (wild strawberry) and savory straw like aromas. On the palate the wine is dry and refreshing with classic berry fruit, strawberries and cream character accompanied by herbal notes and finishing with a crisp red apple skin freshness
Blend: 65% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Gris
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
The uniqueness of 35% Pinot Gris added to the remaining Pinot Noir adds a light-touch fruitiness, an echo of pear. Aromas of rosemary-kissed raspberry are delicate and fragrant. Slate adds depth to the sweetness of the red fruit, while a hint of sage and salinity give the wine strength – and a nice creaminess – and texture. Lively and rich, both juices were blended together and co-fermented in stainless steel tanks and 15% French oak barrels.
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Wine Enthusiast
The current vintage of this wine is a more complex and less overtly ripe expression than the previous year's and it's lovely to see a rosé with more strings to its bow. It sings to the tune of cherry blossoms, orange rind and dried herbs. It's dry, slippery and refreshing. There's a bitter note at the finish but this would be a fun one to experiment with food pairings; likely that finish would become unnoticeable with a well matched meal.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Mt. Beautiful Rosé, blended from 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Pinot Gris, is a tasty and delicious wine. TASTING NOTES: This is a pretty pink wine with plenty of bona fide flavors. Pair its robust red fruit aromas and flavors with seared salmon fillets. (Tasted: September 18, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
Other Vintages
2019-
Wine
Enthusiast
Mt. Beautiful lies in the heart of North Canterbury, on the South Island of New Zealand. The Kaikoura Seaward Mountains lie to the North, while the Waiau River borders us to the North as well. The vineyard rests under its namesake, Mt. Beautiful. Mt. Beautiful crowns the coastal range to the East, and protects the vineyards from the ocean winds. Located about an hour and a half north of Christchurch on Route 1, Mt. Beautiful Winery is on the Northern fringe of the North Canterbury growing region. Lauded by many critics as New Zealand’s most underestimated wine region, it’s a place that has begun to get some incredible recognition. Mt. Beautiful’s wines are a stunning representation of the splendor of the region. The Sauvignon Blanc reaches through the herbaceous spectrum to carry flavors of tropical fruits, the Riesling is ripe with mandarin and citrus, the Pinot Gris is lush and exhibits a creamy mid palate, the Pinot Noir is soft, juicy, and inviting with a hint of cherry, and the Chardonnay is bursting with aromatics of ripe apple and stone fruits while finishing with a clean and crisp flint like minerality.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
On the central eastern coast of the South Island, Canterbury includes a collection of small and varied subregions. The region is cool and dry with low rainfall and light, infertile soils. Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are well-suited here, with Pinot Gris coming in third place.