The King's Desire Rose

VARIETY

100% Pinot Noir.
 

VINTAGE

Vintage 2017 delivered a smaller than predicted crop for Marlborough’s wine industry, ensuring the vibrant, fruit-driven wines the region is so well known for, were achieved. Summer started early with warm weather leading to good flavour development, indicating the potential for great wine. Our vineyard staff and winemakers spent plenty of time in those early days of the season, working out how to get the best balance from our vines – and ultimately into our wines. Nature threw in some challenges along the way, with a major November earthquake, a cool and windy summer and stints of rain in Autumn. Rigorous vineyard management and careful harvest decisions have ensured our Marisco wines have an exciting spectrum of flavours from our harvested grapes. A growing year of challenges – resulting in wines to remember!

WINEMAKING

Leefield Station Pinot Noir was machine harvested, fully destemmed and gently crushed prior to pressing, while The Slopes Pinot Noir was harvested by hand and whole-bunch pressed. Cold settled for 2 – 3 days, both Rosé batches were racked clean to a mix of both tank and 500L French oak barrels (puncheons). Following a slow, cool fermentation with aromatic yeast strains and a short time of lees maturation, the tank and barrel portions were blended and returned to tank to allow the various componentry to integrate.

ANALYSIS

Alcohol 12.5%
pH 3.29
T.A 5.8g/L
Residual sugar 1.6g/L
 

TASTING NOTE

A delicate, yet richly complex bouquet of watermelon and rosewater with raspberries and cream; delivered within a palate that is neatly polished and dangerously slippery. Juicy acid edges plus the retention of some natural Pinot skin tannin has resulted in a sustained, refreshingly dry finish.