Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Rosé La Fe is a one-off wine, arising from the difficult position that Realm and almost all Napa Valley wineries had to confront with their 2020 crops. Of course, 2020 was the year of not just one but two significant fire episodes, rendering most grapes potentially affected by smoke taint. After considerable monitoring and careful consideration, Realm took the difficult decision not to bottle any 2020 wines for public release except this rosé, produced from an early harvest of Merlot coming from Farella vineyard in Coombsville.
Very pale salmon pink, the nose is all bright, cheery Bing cherries, redcurrants, raspberry leaves, fennel seed, white pepper and bouquet garni. Medium-bodied, the dry, refreshing palate tingles with vibrant, pristine red berry fruit, leading to a nice long pepper and spice finish.
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.
Situated in the southeastern corner of Napa Valley in the Vaca range, the vineyards of the Coombsville AVA enjoy a long growing season mitigated by cool, San Pablo Bay fog.