Oregon wine: 2020 Bryn Mawr Vineyards Rosé of Pinot noir

2020 Bryn Mawr Vineyards Rosé of Pinot noir

Willamette Valley,
Oregon

12.4% alcohol

Empty bottle weight: 16.1 ounces // 458 grams

Screwcap closure

175 cases produced

Some rosé wines are made using the Saignée method, bleeding juice off the press of grapes intended to become red wine. Although making rosé this way is easier and less time-consuming, Rachel Rose, Bryn Mawr’s winemaker, would have nothing of the sort! She aptly refers to her rosé as “rosé intentional,” since the Pinot noir grapes in this wine are picked early to retain the highest acidity levels and made specifically into rosé each year. And extended skin contact imparted that amazingly vibrant color to her rosé! She then added additional texture and complexity to the wine by fermenting and aging it on the lees (grape skins) in French oak barrels.

Color:

Candy apple red

Bouquet:

I smelled so many fun aromas in this wine! Everything from raspberries and cream, to cherry cola, and a smell that reminded me of drinking raspberry kool-aid on hot summer days as a kid.

Palate:

This candy apple red rosé had a weighty mouthfeel with rich body! I first tasted tart flavors of passionfruit and pink grapefruit, then berry fruits of tayberries and raspberries. Finally, peach skins and strawberry soda evolved into a long, spicy finish. My friend called this a shoulder season rosé as it had enough weight and heft to pair beautifully with heartier, autumn dishes, something lighter rosé wines don’t do as well.