ROSE ALL DAY

One wine category that has changed maybe more than any other this century is Rosé. The category now includes an extremely wide range of styles, ranging from the highly delicate to the powerfully flavored, the bone dry to the extremely sweet, the inexpensive to the luxury, the simple to the complex. And the spectrum of colors and grapes used to make rosé is also broader than ever.

The Vines of Mendoza is playing a part in this exciting movement, and in 2021, five different rosé wines were made using different grape varietals and techniques to reach a gorgeous diversity.

Over the last decade, our head winemaker Pablo Martorell has been using two different techniques to make rosé:
Bleeding or Saignée method – This is technically a sub-product of red wine production. Before the fermentation of a red wine, around 10% of the juice is “bled off” to obtain a red wine with more concentrated aromas and flavors. The liquid from this bleeding then ferments, producing rosé wine. Wines produced using this method are typically slightly darker and more alcoholic. The preferred grape for its production is Malbec.
Harvest method – In this method, red grapes are harvested earlier, favoring natural acidity with a short maceration. Maceration is the entire period in which the grape skins remain in contact with the must (juice). It defines well what a rosé wine is: a middle ground between a red wine (which undergoes a longer maceration, of days or weeks) and a white wine (in which skin contact with the must is minimal, lasting only for the pressing time). Rosé wines produced by this method usually undergo maceration for between 6 and 24 hours. The preferred grapes for its production are Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Grenache and Sangiovese.

These are the 5 rosés that were made in 2021, with their preliminary tasting notes:
1. MALBEC Rose – Bleeding Method
This Malbec Rosé shows a light bright pink color. On the nose it presents violets, cherries and spicy touches. The palate is dry and fresh, with lots of red fruit character and good balance. Fantastic for summer parties.

2. CABERNET FRANC Rose – Harvest Method
Clean and bright, onion skin color. Marked aromas of fresh red fruits especially raspberries, accompanied by notes of orange blossom flowers and melon. Fresh and delicate attack, great volume in the mid-palate and a great balance between acidity, fruit and alcohol. Persistent finish with characteristic Cabernet Franc herbal notes.

3. PINOT NOIR Rose – Harvest Method
Bright pale pink in color. On the nose it presents aromas of strawberry, wild flowers and celery, which are complemented on the palate by a nice balance between acidity and fresh fruit. Very fresh, fruity and elegant.

4. GRENACHE Rose – Harvest Method
Salmon color with pink hues. On the nose there are notes of pink grapefruit, blood orange and watermelon. Voluminous palate with an elegant texture and a good balance between alcohol and acidity.

5. MERLOT Rose – Harvest Method
Pale pink in color. Fresh, with good aromatic intensity, notes of cherries, white peach, watermelon and mentholated touches. Its mouthfeel is smooth, light and juicy and it’s an aromatic, balanced wine with a long finish.

Tempted? Which would be your favorite? Time to discover the amazing rosés made at The Vines of Mendoza!