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Skinner Vineyards & Winery, El Dorado Rosé

California, United States 2016 (750mL)
$20.00
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Skinner Vineyards & Winery, El Dorado Rosé

At first glance, it wouldn’t seem as though California’s Sierra Foothills and France’s Provence region have much in common. In the El Dorado AVA, home of this wine, vineyard elevations range from 1,200 to 3,500 feet in the shadow of the Sierra Nevadas; much of Provençal wine country, by contrast, is in eyeshot of the Mediterranean Sea. The soils in the Sierra Foothills are primarily volcanic, compared to the pebbly marls and limestone of Provence, and the Sierras are wetter than the scrubby, arid terraces of southern France.
And yet? The Sierra Foothills region, which includes ‘sub-AVAs’ like El Dorado, has become one of California’s most hospitable terroirs to the classic red grapes of southern France: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and other lesser-known cultivars such as Counoise. And now that Spring is upon us in earnest, we’ve got rosés like this refreshing 2016 bottling from Skinner Vineyards & Winery on our minds. Combining Grenache (40%), Mourvèdre (35%) and Counoise (25%) to delicious effect, Skinner’s just-released El Dorado Rosé pays homage to classic pink-wine precincts such as Bandol and Tavel, while at the same time adding its own California spin. It’s a fantastic way to kick off rosé season, and an affordable one at that.
It’s a curious and fascinating thing, this “terroir” business: The Sierra Foothills are a hot climate, and as such it makes sense that hot-climate grapes like Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre would thrive there (interestingly, Sierra Foothills wine country is at a more southerly latitude than Bandol). Sierra Foothills vineyards sit above the fog line, maximizing sun exposure, and yet they do benefit from cooling mountain air. In fact, diurnal temperature swings are rather dramatic in AVAs such as El Dorado, and, as noted in an excellent article in a recent edition of Wine & Spirits magazine, the late-ripening Mourvèdre sometimes struggles toward maturity in certain pockets of the Sierras. There are, as the article notes, many exotically spicy, fragrant, finessed reds from Mourvèdre coming out of the Sierras—including one from Skinner, whose winemaker, Chris Pittinger, is featured in the piece. In this rosé, the lavender/rose petal/pomegranate influence of Mourvèdre is considerable.

Also noteworthy is the pretty fantastic story behind Skinner Vineyards & Winery, a property of fairly recent creation whose roots nevertheless reach back more than a century—to the California Gold Rush, in fact, when a Scottish-immigrant miner named James Skinner bought land in the 1860s and started a ranch in what is now the town of Rescue, California. He made wine and brandy and was something of a visionary, planting not just staples of the era such as Mission and Zinfandel but also Grenache, Carignane, and other southern French grapes. On a trip home from Lake Tahoe in 2006, Kevin and Kathy Skinner—who at that point were unaware of James Skinner, his ranch, and his wines—noticed the unincorporated township of “Skinners,” California on an old road atlas, and after some investigation, learned that Kevin’s father, Mike, was James Skinner’s great-great-great grandson. Upon learning this, the Skinners jumped in with gusto—they immediately began acquiring land in the area and planting vineyards, and have since been able to acquire James Skinner’s more than century-old stone cellar. They’ve resurrected a family legacy almost from scratch, and the Skinner wines become better known and regarded with each new vintage.

The grapes for this wine were grown and harvested specifically for the purpose of making rosé. They were subjected to a short maceration on their skins and then pressed, after which the wine spent about four months aging in large, neutral oak barrels. About 70% of the fruit is from Skinner estate vineyards, while the remainder was sourced from two well-known El Dorado sites: The Sumu Kaw and David Girard vineyards.

In the glass, the 2016 has the pale, coppery-pink hue of a Provençal rosé, while its aromatics combine juicy fruit notes of ripe strawberry, peach, cantaloupe, and watermelon with some exotic lavender and violet florals. The texture is juicy but supported by refreshing acidity, with some warm spice, red currant, and dried herb notes accented on the aromatic finish. It is exuberant and aching to be cracked open now, either to tame something with heat (like these spicy grilled shrimp) or as an enlivening apéritif. This will make a great staple to have on hand in quantity. Enjoy!
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Country
United States
Region
California
Sub-Region
United StatesSierra Foothills / El Dorado AVA
Soil
Volcanic
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
40% Grenache; 35% Mourvedre; 25% Counoise
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
Large Neutral Oak
TEMP.
45-50
Glassware
White Wine
Drinking
Now
Pairing
Spicy Grilled Shrimp

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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