I’M Wines

Rose, Napa Valley

VINES

The majority of the fruit sourcing for our 2006 I’M Rosé comes from our vineyard in Atlas Peak AVA and Pope Valley, in the Napa Valley. Our vineyard is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon. The Atlas Peak vines were about nine years old at harvest.

VINTAGE

The 2006 growing season produced a Rosé that is even more delicious than last vintage, you’ll have to taste it to believe it. The seasons rains came in March with the majority falling before May. It was fairly warm in June; July and August were temperate, followed by a hot September and a warm October bringing the grapes to full ripeness. The long moderate season hung well on the vines to create balance.

WINE & WINEMAKING

The Rosé is made in the Saigneé style (see below for definition). Saigneé is a process which not only lends itself to the production of the Rosé wine, but also enhances the quality and richness of a red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon is the last grape to be harvested, as it matures the latest. Due to the nature of the grape we make our Rosé much later than most winemakers, thus the bottling and release is later than most Rosés.

I’M Rosé is a dry wine with good structure, acidity, and an enjoyable long finish. The acidity lends itself well to diverse styles of food. Being Cabernet Sauvignon there is a lot of substance and a hint of tannin for a greater mouth feel. One taster has noticed a mandarin orange characteristic in the cranberry hued wine. For the last two years our family has enjoyed the wine at the Thanksgiving table. And yes, as always a traditional turkey dinner. We have enjoyed this wine with Thai and other haute-Asian cuisines and also with less exotic foods of barbecue and pastas. Isabel enjoys it with roast pork with rosemary potatoes. Michael with wood fired pizzas, Rob with spicy Thai curries, and I like I’M Rosé with lobster bisque.

Saigneé, “French term meaning ‘bled’ for a winemaking technique which results in a rosé wine made by running off or ‘bleeding’, a certain amount of free run juice from the just crushed dark skinned grapes after a short pre-fermentation maceration. The aim of this may be primarily to produce a lightly pink wine, or increase the proportion of phenolics and flavour compounds to the juice, thereby affecting a form of concentration to the red wine which results from fermentation of the rest of the juice and the skins.”

-Jancis Robinson The Oxford Wine Companion

MORE WINES

Chardonnay | Rosé | Pinot Noir