Winemaker Notes
Pair with wild salmon, Dungeness crab, and grilled rock shrimp.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Bubblegum and strawberry aromas meet with wet gravel and pink grapefruit on the zesty nose of this bottling. There is a great tang of lemon peel as well as cherry and strawberry flavors on the palate.
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Wine Spectator
A spirited version, with expressive strawberry blossom aromas and delicate watermelon and spice flavors. Drink now.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 La Crema Pinot Noir Rosé is a kind pink wine that many wine drinkers will enjoy. TASTING NOTES: This wine is pure joy. Pair its aromas and flavors of strawberries and candy with light aperitif occasions. (Tasted: April 30, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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.
A geographic and climatic paradise for grape vines, Monterey is a part of the greater Central Coast AVA and contains within it five smaller sub-appellations, including Arroyo Seco, San Lucas, San Bernabe, Hames Valley and the famous Santa Lucia Highlands. The climate is relatively warm but tempered by cool, coastal winds, allowing the regions in Monterey County an exceptionally long growing season. Bud break often happens two weeks sooner and harvest tends to be two weeks later compared to other surrounding regions.
Monterey’s coastal side, where the cooling ocean fog allows grapes to develop a perfect sugar-acid balance, excels in the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. Warmer, inland subzones are home to fleshy, concentrated and full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel.
Chardonnay, covering about 40% of vineyard acreage, is the most widely planted grape in all of Monterey County.