2008 Rosella's Vineyard Pinot Noir

The 2008 August West Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir is arguably the most concentrated Pinot we’ve made so far in our seven vintage history.  A combination of the minuscule crop load, the very long hang time in this cool year and Gary Franscioni’s excellent farming all led to the excellent quality of this wine.

 

A soft nose of ripe blackberries and cola is the first impression of the ’08 Rosella’s Pinot.  This broadens out with aeration to reveal some of the familiar Santa Lucia Highlands spiciness.  The deep and round palate is an explosion of various fruits including ripe plums and berries.  There’s plenty of acidity and tannin, but in this youthful state, the fruit seems to be in the forefront of the mouthfeel.  A two minute finish predicts a long life for the wine, so expect the 2008 Rosella’s to drink well through 2016 and beyond.

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