Rosella’s Vineyard
owned and farmed by Gary Franscioni and named for his wife, is one of the most famous estates in the Santa Lucia Highlands. It has provided both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to Morgan for many years. Located just south of our own Double L Vineyard, Rosella’s was planted in 1996 to several Dijon clones at 1089 vines per acre.
The vineyards of the Highlands’ produced a small crop of very high quality fruit in 2008. A dry winter was followed by alternating heat and chill spells. The stress from the abnormal weather yielded small intensely flavored berries. The autumn weather was typical, leading to a clean harvest. We picked Rosella’s on October 1st, 2008.
Whole cluster pressing retained the natural acidity and tropical fruit flavors. The must is barrel fermented in 40% new Francois Frere and Doreau barrels, the rest being one, two and three years old. The malo-lactic process did not completely finish, resulting in richness with balanced acidity. Nearly equal parts Dijon clone 76, 96 & 95 were used to construct the blend.
The nose displays bright citrus fruits with walnuts and butterscotch. Zesty grapefruit and lime flavors seamlessly integrate with butter-cream and toast.Perfectly placed acidity balances the rich, creamy finish.The combination of richness and acidity is ideal for dishes such as salmon with berre blanc sauce or a creamy chicken risotto…
