• 2021 Rosé of Pinot Noir
    Anderson Valley, Mendocino
    • (750 ml) Sold Out!
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Most pink wines are simply labeled "Rosé" which makes sense in Europe since each appellation has a short list of permissible grape varieties; one can expect that most Provencal rosés are Grenache-based, Loire rosés are Pinot Noir-based and Tuscan rosés are Sangiovese-based. But this makes less sense in California where every grape variety is permissible in every appellation; there are few clues except those on the label. We've made rosé from Pinot Noir, Grenache and most recently Sangiovese—who knows what we'll try next—and as expected, each variety has a unique flavor profile.

Rosé being filled in the winery.
[above] Rosé of Pinot Noir being bottled. Prior to filling, the bottles are filled with an inert gas—usually nitrogen—to avoid oxygen pickup which would encourage oxidation and early maturity.
Harvesting Pinot Noir in 2021. [below] Since rosé wines are produced from red-skinned grapes, the juice can macerate with the skins up to several hours. Bitter compounds are extracted at higher temperatures, so cold fruit is required for a suave mouthfeel.

Pinot Noir grapes being harvested.


This rosé is produced from estate grown Pinot Noir and has flavors reminiscent of cherry and raspberry. What do we think is important to produce a very good rosé? We prefer well-tended vines with low water stress, reasonable crop level, not too much sun on the fruit and grapes that are not too ripe. We insist on night harvesting to deliver cool fruit for extracting color and flavor without bitterness. It takes a careful hand on the crush pad frequently tasting fruit and juice since the maceration time to achieve balance and density can vary from a few minutes to several hours. Navarro rosés are aged sur lie in seasoned oak casks enriching the wine and building mouthfeel and length on the palate without any residual sugar. A dry rosé is versatile with more body than a white wine and less tannins than a red so it can be matched with a panoply of flavors including crab cakes, fried rice, salmon or burritos. Gold Medal winner. Best of Show.

Specifications
  • Harvested: Sept. 10 to Oct. 6, 2021
  • Sugars at harvest: 23.3° Brix
  • Bottled: Feb. 15 & 16, 2022
  • Cases produced: 2,380
  • Alcohol: 13.2%
  • Titratable acidity: 7.4 g/L
  • pH: 3.24