90+ Cellars Organic Rosé (Lot 169)

Lot 169 is made from a blend of 100% organically farmed Grenache and Cinsault grapes from France’s Languedoc. The vines are planted in soils comprised of clay, limestone and gravel located in the northern, hillier reaches of the region. During the growing season, a cool breeze flows from the heights of the Cevennes to allow for more gradual ripening and to protect the vines against disease. The grapes are hand harvested, destemmed and crushed, mixing the skins with the juice. After a few hours the juice and skins are separated and the wine is fermented under cool temperatures to preserve fresh berry and floral aromas. The wine spends a few months on the fine lees before racking and bottling. Simply put, to be called an organic wine, a wine must be produced with certified organic grapes. And to achieve that, a vineyard must implement an entirely different set of practices to maintain their vines. This is more labor intensive and costly. So why are more wineries converting to organic viticulture? In short, the overuse of chemicals releases toxins into the vine, soil and water and can be unhealthy especially for vineyard workers. To reduce these risks, and to maintain biodiversity in the vineyard, many farmers have become more conservative regarding their use of chemicals, and some are even converting to organic viticulture. In order to encourage more farmers to farm organically, they need to be able to charge a little more for their grapes and wine. This wine, Lot 169, is helping more farmers have the means and the confidence to convert to organic farming. TASTING NOTES Pale pink in color with aromatic notes of strawberries, raspberries, violets and citrus rind with a subtle salty savoriness. The wine is medium bodied and round with concentrated berry fruit and citrus flavors that evolve into a long finish accented with hints of fresh fennel.