I wish I could tell which boutique sold us this Rosé though as with most of our purchasing we cannot reveal sources. This is the first McLaren Vale Rosé we have stocked, a wine style that Glug enjoys when made from warm climate regions. Rosés made from the varieties Grenache and Mataro which fruit well in warm climates are our favourites. Grenache is the key as it is naturally low in the hard elements like tannin as the grape skins are pale and thin. Mataro is a traditional robust variety so for Rosé must be handled with great care.
It is the flavour of the grape pulp that adds the complex mystery to Rosé so Mataro is best squeezed in a bag press so hard elements from the skins are not extracted. We do not want a Rosé to be a light red rather having flavour nuances that originate from the pulp of the grape with just a touch of skin contact. We also do not favour fruitiness as boosted by residual sugar nor early picking and the resulting high acids. The base of the style we favour comes from Grenache which has a thin skin and when fully ripe is generally pale compared to Shiraz.
The nuances of the geography of McLaren Vale also come into play as McLaren Vale is a warm region adjoining the sea which has a notable cooling impact with late afternoon breezes which helps control the evenness of grape ripening. Grenache though is the key to this Rosé.
