Rosé

To say this wine is simply delicious doesn’t do justice — Graham’s bottles hit all the marks for me. Aromatically, it's subtle, but the palate is assertive, with an energetic lift that promises summer ahead. Graham’s wines are all about balance — even this high-acid ripper made of Italian varieties grown on hills that look like Tuscany if you squint your eyes.

True to the Sangiovese in the blend, the nose is tumble of dried herbs and dried citrus, with a slight feral energy floating just out of sight. Tart, sour-cherry acidity, laced through a juicy summer watermelon, with a smooth and integrated acidity. The clean, vibrant red fruit character, picks up a bit of spice from the oak (cinnamon and wasabi) which lead to a long, satisfying finish. A blend of Dolcetto and Sangiovese, partially destemed and partially macerated with skins before resting in used oak for a year. Serve chilled. 12.2%. [Matthew Hawkins, 2/25/21]

From the distributor: Matthew Rorick farms one of the most compelling sites in all of California, Rorick Heritage Vineyard in Calaveras. High altitude, super unique soils and steep slopes produce extremely particular fruit. Tinta Roriz (aka, Tempranillo) from RHV is picked and direct pressed to form the delicate, spicy, snappy strawberry component for this wine. Fox Hill Vineyard is planted ALMOST entirely to Italian varieties. The Portuguese block is the exception. Souzão and Touriga Nacional are both primarily relegated to the production of fortified wine, both here and back home in Portugal. But with these two meaty, herbal, tannic, intensely colored varieties I have found such intriguing success in bringing to life a more savory, earthy and structured version of pink wine. It's not just for porch pounding or deck drinking (although, feel free to continue to do so).