by Andrew Chalk
Appearance: Pink salmon. Pale hue;
Nose: Roses, white peach, red apples, grapefruit. Needs to be drawn from the glass;
Palate: Vibrant acid, red apples, grapefruit flavors. A veneer of tannin enriches the mouthfeel.
This wine, an involved blend of 48% grenache, 23% mourvèdre, 17% cinsault, 12% rolle (vermentino), is harvested at night from two vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley, one in Paso Robles, and one in the Russian River Valley. The latter for vermentino from a vineyard owned by Seghesio Family Vineyards.
Winemaking was in a reductive process through the use of inert gases. Malolactic fermentation was avoided in order to retain the vibrancy from the malic acid. The wine was settled and racked for clarity. No oak was used throughout.
Technical details apart, the best synopsis of this wine is that it is a Provençal rosé crafted in California. It is ideal for our coming summer days either as a quaffing wine (since the vibrant acids are not harsh), or paired with turkey, chicken, pork or Thai.
Malene is a small San Luis Obispo producer for whom an airstream trailer passes for a tasting room. The 2016 vintage of this wine was their first product. They made 9,000 cases of this vintage. The winemaker is Frintan du Fresne
Overall a very enjoyable drink.
Sample.