By: Becky Garrison
In recent years, a growing number of Pacific Northwest wineries have added a pinot noir rosé wine to their portfolio.
Aaron Lieberman, winemaker for Iris Vineyards in Springfield, Oregon, notes why this grape is particularly well suited for producing rosé wines, “Pinot noir grapes develop desirable flavors at lower sugar concentration than most other red varieties and, if grown in a truly cool climate, can have ripe flavors and the chemistry (pH, TA, Brix) we want at the same time.”
Moe Momtazi, founder of Maysara Winery and Momtazi Vineyards in McMinnville, Oregon, adds, “Pinot noir, being a finicky and delicate grape varietal, thrives in cool climates and is the ideal grape to be grown in places like Oregon’s Willamette Valley.”
According to Drew Voit, founder/owner/winemaker at Harper Voit in McMinnville, Oregon, “Pacific Northwest pinot noir rosé wines are probably largely different because there isn’t a huge amount of rosé from elsewhere made from pinot noir, so the approach and the resulting style is specific to the Willamette Valley.” In his estimation, “Pinot noir tends towards a coarse phenolic structure when at the ripeness levels that we want for rosé.” He finds these characteristics can be minimized by whole cluster pressing and aiming towards a style that is light and bright rather than skin soaking or a saignee method where bitterness could be an issue. The ensuing result is a wine that will be very light in color, often with barely a hint of pink in some vintages when compared to rosé wines made using other varietals.
In addition to producing world-class pinot noir grapes, Oregon’s Willamette Valley has the distinction of being home to more certified B Corp wineries and vineyards than any other region in the world. Also, Oregon may generate only approximately two percent of all wine produced in the United States, but it’s home to 52 percent of U.S.-based Demeter-certified biodynamic wineries. Momtazi reflects on how this ethos informs his wine. “Aside from the cool climate influence, when your approach to farming is holistic and eliminates the use of chemicals and minerals to work in tune with nature, this approach adds another layer to a healthy and delicious fruit that other farming methods lack.” His NV sparkling pinot noir rosé is made with 100 percent pinot noir grapes that are balanced with high-tension acidity and minerality. The fine bubbles keep the aromatics tight with a clean finish of dried cranberries, pomegranate and wild strawberries.
The Importance of Vineyard Block Selection
When selecting the particular pinot noir grapes used in making rosé wines, Voit wants to use areas of a given vineyard that tend towards large berries and heavier yields. Often, he chooses areas shaded by nearby trees or areas of low vigor. This way enables them to get great flavor development at low sugar levels and makes wines with better flavors, but with the alcohol and acidity levels, they want for the wine.
Those vineyard blocks that produce the best pinot noir grapes for rosé wines also might produce red wines that are less impressive due to possible factors such as shade, low vigor and higher yields. According to Voit, “It is often an opportunity to make both better rosés and better red pinot noir wines from a vineyard by recognizing which blocks and sections are best suited to our goal.”
Before pruning, Lieberman chooses specific areas of the vineyard to source rosé. These areas are allowed to have higher yields. Also, they avoid removing as many leaves as they do for red wine production. The limited leaf removal leads to slower and less accumulation of anthocyanins. This practice, along with choosing an area of the vineyard that is slow to ripen, leads to longer hang time and riper flavors once we do pick.
Dan Diephouse, co-founder and co-winemaker at Corollary Wines in Amity, Oregon, observes the variety of expressions in sparkling pinot noir rosé varies between different sites, clones and styles is amazing. They look for late-ripening, marginal sites and clones that preserve the acidity they love in bubbles. Also, they eschew a lot of the Dijon pinot clones, as they’re selected to ripen early. Unless they’re in a cold site, they lack the acidity they want.
In terms of specific clones, they love working with the old vine Wadenswil and Upright at Cattrall Brother’s Vineyards in the Eola Amity Hills. Diephouse opines, “The Wadenswil produces this beautiful savory raspberry leaf, and the Upright is more in the dark strawberry range. They’re both stunning on their own and in our blends. The Mt. Eden from Lonesome Rock vineyard also makes amazing bubbles with dark blue fruit.”
Field blends also play an important role in crafting their rosé wines. At Momtazi Vineyard, they work with a field blend of different pinot noir clones, which creates complexity. Also, they use a technique called carbonic maceration to coax out the fruit and spice without too much phenolic/tannin extraction.
Corollary Wines’ Cuvée One rosé is meant to be a snapshot of the vintage and the valley, blending five or six different vineyards and eight to 10 different base wines. When they make their Cuvée One rosé, they’re always making base wines with the express purpose of making a rosé. Diephouse states, “We’re picking at slightly higher brix for riper flavors (19-20), destemming the fruit and doing a three- to six-day cold soak. We find ourselves typically blending in very linear chardonnay or pinot blanc to the wine, as it builds length and texture, with our most recent blend being 70 percent pinot noir, 15 percent chardonnay and 15 percent pinot blanc.”
Best Pinot Noir Clones for Producing Rosé Wines
While Voit has found success with most pinot noir clones in making rosé wines, he has a personal preference for Dijon 113 and 114 when possible. “Those clones tend to produce a lighter, lower tannin and more peach/apricot/nectarine flavor profile, whether they are made into red wine or rosé. I think those flavors are terrific in light, bright, dry rosés,” Voit reflects. Also, he likes making sparkling wines from those clones for the same reason. That said, he finds that the particular clone is less important than selecting the ideal sections of the vineyard.
Cameron Bower, owner of Ghost Hill Cellars in Carlton, Oregon, finds that their Dijon 115 clone has always been their go-to clone for rosé from their vineyard. He said, “It is well suited for our Willakenzie soils and delivers great fruit flavors, but with the level of acidity required to deliver a world-class rosé.” They pick these grapes two weeks earlier than the pinot and pay a lot of attention to the time spent on the skins so that they can deliver a consistent wine across vintages. Along those lines, Lieberman prefers Pommard and Dijon 115 to be the most desirable clones for rosé and blanc de noirs.
Washington State and BC Pinot Noir Rosé Wines
While the Willamette Valley produces the majority of PNW pinot noir rosé wines, select Washington State and British Columbia producers also make a pinot noir rosé wine.
Jason Fox, owner/winemaker of Lagana Cellars in Walla Walla, Washington, states that no matter where grapes are grown, they will show off the region’s terroir. “In Oregon, you may have light, quaffable rosés comparable to Sonoma Coast or Burgundian styles. In Washington, where we are located, the higher temperatures, more sunlight and lower rainfall results in bigger, more fruity styles reminiscent of Alsatian or Napa versions.”
The particular vineyard where they source their grapes sits atop a small bench in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. The elevation is 1,750 feet ASL, making it currently the highest-planted commercial vineyard in the valley. Fox finds this location is pretty solid for growing pinot noir because it has very good air drainage, as it is both higher and sits on a small bench in the topography. In addition, it receives significantly more rainfall throughout the year due to its location closer to the Blue Mountains. Also, the hot and dry summers in the valley allow them to grow this grapevine at tonnage levels much higher than in the Willamette Valley.
Also in Walla Walla, Patterson Cellars produces a pinot noir from the Rattlesnake Hills area of Washington State, which is usually about a 50/50 blend of Pommard and Dijon clones. Assistant winemaker Eric Peterson finds that pinot noir’s more delicate aromas and flavors lend themselves beautifully to the sparkling rosé they make out of those grapes.
Moving north to Vancouver Island, Alexandre Guertin, proprietor of Beaufort Vineyard, and Estate Winery in Courtenay, British Columbia, points to how BC’s climate gives their pinot noir rosés a unique twist. “Our cool nights and long growing season help the grapes keep their bright acidity while also showing off vibrant fruit flavors,” he said. This Mediterranean climate presents challenges like cool, wet springs, which can impact flowering and fruit sets, as well as a longer growing season that requires careful vineyard management to ensure full ripeness. Also, disease pressure, particularly from botrytis and mildew, is another ongoing concern in this humid environment. However, in Guertin’s experience, the very qualities that make pinot noir difficult — its thin skin, sensitivity to climate and low yield potential — are what allow it to reflect the subtleties of its terroir so vividly.
Chris Turyk, sales and marketing director for Unsworth Vineyards in Mill Bay, British Columbia, observes how, due to the Cowichan Valley’s decidedly cool climate, not every block of every vineyard can perennially ripen suitably for red pinot noir. “By having a robust sparkling wine and rosé program, we can tailor each vineyard and each block to produce fruit suitable for those three styles,” he notes.
The Different Styles of PNW Pinot Noir Rosé Wines
In Rickreall, Oregon, Left Coast Estate’s pinot noir rosé wines point to the diversity of styles that can be produced from pinot noir grapes. In particular, they do a reserve level rosé made from 100 percent pinot meunier that’s entirely fermented in concrete Noblot eggs. Joe Wright, the director of viticulture and winemaking, describes the unique feature of this process.
“We like using the Noblot eggs due to the unique effect they have on the wine during the fermentation process,” Wright said. “The shape of the eggs is similar to the wine glass and allows for lees to stick to a much wider range of the fermentor. The lees will settle on any slope under 90 degrees, and the entire bottom half of the fermentor will be coated in lees. The power of the fermentation will naturally rotate the wine around in the fermentor, similar to a person swirling their wine glass, and this motion will provide ample lees contact with the wine, which creates more body and structure. The eggs are made of concrete, and concrete is porous, which allows the fermentor to breathe and let in very small amounts of oxygen. This is similar to the process of a cork, where small amounts of oxygen ingress can allow the wine to mature and develop slowly without the risk of major oxidation spoiling the wine.”
Their two other rosés include an estate rosé, a blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier and pinot blanc built for ageability, which they release a year late, thus bucking the trend of quick-turn rosés. Also, their brut rosé of pinot Meunier spends four years on tirage and is made in the methode champenoise style.
