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Cotes D'Oakely - Vin Gris wine label CLINE CELLARS
Technical Notes
1997 Côtes D'Oakley - Vin Gris
California
HARVEST DATE: Early to mid-September
BRIX AT HARVEST: 23.2° to 23.3°
TOTAL ACIDITY: 0.64g/100ml
FINAL PH: 3.40
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 0.025g/100
ALCOHOL: 13.5%

VINTAGE NOTES

The 1997 growing season could be described as one of the earliest and largest on record. In most parts of the state bud break was early and the warm summer weather sped our grapes towards ripeness. However, reasonable yields and innovative farming techniques produced an excellent crop of surprisingly concentrated and complex fruit. The grapes harvested at our Carneros and Contra Costa ranches exhibited great body while maintaining--particularly in the Carneros district--a bright acid structure. Wines from various regions of the state showed a consistently forward fruit character and stunning acidity, giving our Vin Gris its lively, floral personality.

VINEYARDS

Much in the same way as the great rose wine vineyards of Southern France's Tavel and Lirac, Cline's Contra Costa County Mourvèdre vineyards are populated by age-old head-trained vines planted to nutrient-poor, sandy soils. The unique Oakley terrior has proved ideal for growing Mourvèdre grapes rich in the fresh fruit and mineral character essential to great dry rose. A singular cooling band of air that flows from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers helps moderate the otherwise hot climate in Oakley and maintains a superb balance of acids often lacking in fruit from other warm areas. Careful vineyard management and strict dry-farming allows us to restrict yields to a meager 2 to 3 tons per acre, further enhancing concentration of flavors in the fruit.

FERMENTATION AND AGING

1997 has turned out to be an ideal vintage for our Vin Gris program. The wine was produced using the saigné method, bleeding must for the rose from tanks of Mourvèdre that had been allowed to macerate on their skins from 1 1/2 to 2 days. Must was inoculated with Cotes-de-Blancs yeast and fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel and 132 gallon puncheons. Racked from its lees midway through primary fermentation, the 1997 Vin Gris finished to dryness slowly, preserving freshness and intense fruit. Minimal handling prior to bottling helps maintain the liveliness and fresh fruit we seek in our Côtes D'Oakley Vin Gris. Small quantities of Grenache, Cinsault and Carignane were blended in for added complexity.

WINEMAKER'S COMMENTS

Côtes D'Oakley Vin Gris has been styled after the Rhône Valley's greatest dry roses, notably Tavel and Lirac. Exhibiting intense aromas of cherries, strawberries, earth and fresh herbes de provence, this rosé is intended for early consumption but the consumer will also be rewarded with 2 to 3 years of aging. I am particularly pleased with the 1997 vintage, as it shows astounding freshness, fine acidity and an appealing succulence of fruit...all in a perfectly dry format. I like to enjoy it as an elegant aperitif and with all types of light fare including cheeses, fruits and poultry. The 1997 Côtes D'Oakley Vin Gris is the ideal wine for the warm days of summer, when rich reds are too cumbersome for the heat.

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