Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard (Archived) 2006

477 cases bottled
Released February 11, 2008

Light red. Spicy aromas of raspberry, cherry, licorice and cured meat. Deep and chewy in texture, with vibrant cherry and dark berry flavors, an exotic note of candied licorice, and fine-grained tannins. Finishes with chewy flavors of dried cherry and spicecake and very good length.
—Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar

More Information on Rosella's Vineyard:
Situated in the center of the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation is Gary Franscioni's Rosella's Vineyard. With perfect southeast exposure, the 50 acres of vineyard were planted over the course of seven years (1996-2003). Gary incorporated seven clones of Pinot Noir, three clones of Chardonnay, and two clones of Syrah, all on two different rootstocks, to create one of the most complex vineyards in California.

Other than the fact that Gary is one of the world's premier wine grape growers, the flavors emanating from Rosella's Vineyard can be traced to two other important factors: soil and climate. The deep Arroyo Seco sandy loam soil that lies beneath the vineyard provides a hospitable home for the vines at Rosella's. Gary farms the vineyard on a vine by vine basis, making sure that each vine's root system is well-established before allowing a crop to hang. These same soils could easily ripen a crop three times the size of Rosella's typical two to three tons per acre, however Gary chooses to keep the tonnage low to make sure the terroir of Rosella's comes through in each cluster.