Winemaker Notes
The robe of the 2015 Rosella's is deep and concentrated. On the nose we find superb aromas of black cherry and blackberry along with notes of rose pedal, cola and spice. The palate is full and luscious, exuding flavors of ripe cherries and berries, along with subtle hints of toasty oak. This is a beautifully intense wine that will age wonderfully for many years to come.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Broad aromas of black cherry and black-tea spice make for a dark and full nose, which is enhanced by strong soil components of turned loam and gravel. Dark boysenberry and tart plum skins show on the palate along with more tea spice, making for a very full sipping experience.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard is a classic Pinot Noir from this site offering a terrific, complex style in its ripe red fruits, exotic spice, incense and potpourri aromas, and flavors. With medium-bodied richness, impressive balanced, integrated acidity, and a great finish, it's an outstanding Pinot Noir I'd happily drink over the coming 7-8 years.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.