Dye Bleeding, Skin Contact Grenache Gris Rosé

Beautifully pale pink in colour, the palate is intially one of fresh strawberries before an earthy, pithy finish.

Grenache Gris grapes ripen to a natural greyish pink colour so make naturally pink juice, ideal for rosés.

Usually rosé is made from black grapes. Think about cutting one in half, the fesh is usually white (OK Mr Pedant – and it is nearly always a Mr – they’re actually pale green), so most grapes produce clear juice. Only by leaving the juice in contact with the grape skins, either after pressing or pre-press maceration, will the red colour transfer from the skins to the juice.  Do it for a long time and the juice turns red. Shorten that skin contact time to just a day or so and the juice turns pink.

But this ain’t no normal rosé.  Those grey/pink skinned Grenache Gris grape skins will never turn the juice red. So the winemakers can allow the juice a longer period of contact with the juice. this exactly the same techinique as is used with white grape varities (yes Mr P, usually golden yellow by the time they’ve ripened) to make orange wines. And what else transfers with the colour during this period? Depth of flavour and tannins.

So here we have a deeper, more tannic wine, fermented to full dryness. Compared to a ‘normal’ rosé, the first sip will surprise you. In a good way. This is a skillfully made wine with great clarity and brightness. Harvested from Grenache Gris. Skin fermented (naturally) until dry. The wine was then pressed and matured in 400 litre Ceramic eggs for 7 months.