Derbès Wines
2010 Russian River Valley Rosé
Rosé
California: Russian River Valley
Mission Briefing
Will you be mine?
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we are very happy to introduce you to one of the most interesting Rosés we’ve ever tasted! This wine is very highly recommended.
Made by master winemaker Cécile Lemerle-Derbès, today’s 2010 Russian River Valley Rosé is a complex, complicated and non-traditional rosé that really captivated our entire tasting panel. This wine has great structure, a bold character and wonderful fruit. The boldness of the wine is well balanced by its juicy and clean finish.
Cécile Lemerle-Derbès makes wines around the world, for the likes of Champagne Bollinger, Champagne Jacquart, Schug Carneros, Korbel, and Golan Heights, among others. She was Director of Production at Opus One Winery from 1998 to 2000, and consulted for local wineries from 2000 to summer 2005.
Pair this wine with any course, from the appetizer course through to the entree. This complex wonder would go well with a skirt steak salad, a rich pasta dish or even a grilled fish.
Swirl the wine and allow it to warm, even slightly, and notice how it evolves as you drink.
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Very dark for a Rosé, this wine really shows off the ‘blood of the grapes’. With hues that remind us of a dusty rose and a hint of purple at the core, this is a very pretty wine to behold. |
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| Smell: | This wine is bursting with aromas of red licorice, yeasty brioche, cherry scone, cherry candy, red candied apple, dark cranberry apple sauce. After it warms slightly, it reveals sour cherry, cherry cider, French red aperitif. |
| Taste: | Macintosh apple, dried cranberry, stewed plum, black cherry. As it warms, hints of leather, soft spice. Cherry creek or lambic |
| Finish: | A very pleasant and long finish, floral in style and inviting to have another taste, a lively Rosé that is accommodating to a wide range of foods. |
| Pairing: |
What the Winery Says
Wine Specs
Appellation: Russian River Valley
Varietal Composition: Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
TA: 0.53 %
pH: 3.50
Winemaking:
Hand harvested, crushed to tank. Skin contact that lasted longer due to weather-related electricity outage. Pressed, settled, and racked to tank for fermentation. Inoculated with Champagne yeasts. Aged in tank. Bottled December 13 2011 249 cases
Winemaker tasting notes:
Dark Rosé color. Fresh red berries, dry apricots, litchis, tropical fruits, lemon followed by cranberry and melon rind flavors. Balanced wine with good acidity and mineral components that lead to a long finish.
Enjoy alone or with food.
About the Winery
Winemaker Cécile Lemerle-Derbès grew up in the vineyards of the Champagne region, where she was and still is involved in the growing of grapes. After studying to become a viticulturist and Oenologue she made fine wines throughout the world, at Champagne Bollinger, Champagne Jacquart, Schug Carneros, Korbel, and Golan Heights, among others. She was Director of Production at Opus One Winery from 1998 to 2000, and consulted for local wineries from 2000 to summer 2005.
Cécile and her husband Billy, an Aerospace Engineer, started Derbès Wines in 2001:
“I do not come with formulas to be used from one year to the next - the vintage dictates the winemaking, respecting and reflecting the quality of the grapes in the wine.”
The synergy of the fruit and gentle winemaking practices makes these natural wines delightful alone, or with food.
Our high-density, spring-fed, hillside estate vineyard is now in full production of classic Russian River Valley grapes including Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay.