Saracina Vineyards 2019 Skid Rosé ($20)
Saracina Vineyards was founded in 2001 by John Fetzer and Patty Rock. in 2018 it was taken over by Marc Taub of Palm Bay and Taub Family Selections, importers of Wine and Spirits. Located in Mendocino County their vineyards are Certified California Sustainable.
This 2019 Rosé is entirely Malbec from the Skid Row Vineyard, the western most block on their property. Fermentation took place in stainless steel with extended Lees contact. I can’t get enough Rosé no matter what time of year it is, but during the summer months I’m eager to try every single one I can get my hands on. So when I was headed out to meet a friend for a socially distant outdoor lunch yesterday I grabbed the Saracina Rosé and brought it with me. It’s a delicious wine that has a softness to it that seems to belie the fact that it’s 100% Malbec. While I’ve had a handful of good Rosé’s from Malbec, the vast majority of them are a bit outside of my preferred Rosé wheel-house. There are exceptions of course, and this turned out to be one of them. Ripe red raspberry and red rose petals aromas waft from the glass with the first time you pull it towards your nose. Red fruit flavors such as strawberry and red cherry are accompanied by wisps of tangerine zest on the palate. The finish is long and mellifluous. Skid Rosé is simply a joy to drink. It was a spot on match with my Mexican lunch of Guacamole and a Carnitas Platter. It’s worth adding that Skid Rosé’s charms were not held back in the least by being consumed from water glasses.
