2016 RMS Brut Rosé
ABOUT THE RMS BRUT ROSE
Having founded Oregon’s first sparkling wine production facility, Argyle Winery, it’s only natural that Rollin would bring his 30+ years of sparkling expertise to ROCO. After releasing ROCO’s first vintage RMS Brut three years ago, this vintage Brut Rosé is the next elegant step in ROCO’s sparkling wine program. During his 27+ years with Argyle, Rollin crafted some of the most highly acclaimed New World sparkling wines, which made Wine Spectator’s Top 100 wines three times, proof that he has mastered the sophisticated craft of fine Methòde Champenoise. Rollin’s vision has become a reality as the world continues to discover that the Willamette Valley’s cool, maritime climate is indeed ideally suited to world-class sparkling wine production.
THE METHODE CHAMPENOISE PROCESS
Ripe but high acidity wine grapes of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are gently and slowly pressed. The heart juice of the grape berry is collected and fermented in small French Oak barrels to produce a tart still wine. Then, in late winter, this wine is given a small, precise amount of sugar with a sparkling wine yeast. Pushed into a capped Champagne bottle, a second fermentation ensues for about four weeks. The bottles of wine, yeast, and lots of bubbles are then aged in cool storage for 2.5 years. Next, the wine bottles are riddled, or shaken and turned upside down, causing the yeast residue to collect behind the crown cap for removal. Once the yeast is removed, or disgorged, a carefully calibrated “dose” of a few milliliters of a rich wine and sugar mix is added to each bottle prior to corking and wire basketing. The result is delicious sparkling wine. Cheers!
2016 VINTAGE NOTES
This growing season started with cool, wet spring weather, which created random, poor fruit set in some blocks. May and early June saw a few high heat spikes, but overall the summer’s warm, sunny weather kicked growth into gear. Then a cold, wet, “Alaska” front perked the vines up around the 17th of August. Refreshed fruit sailed into a beautiful fall harvest where growers and winemakers alike enjoyed a nice and steady pace of picking perfectly ripened wine grapes. The resulting wines are robust without losing that ROCO juicy-centered youthfullness.
ROCO's First Brut Rosé!
WINEMAKER’S TASTING NOTES
“The pink color of a Midsummer Night’s Dream English Rose is the first hint of a voluptuous RMS Brut Rosé. Her “perfume” tempts with ripe Pacific raspberries, rose petal, apple blossoms, and white peaches. The first sip of cool, fizzy goodness provides a crisp, refreshing fruit sweetness. Then, the wine flows toward a lovely middle palate of strawberry and ripe apricot with a balanced minerality of citrus lemon basil. Rounding out in the mouth is a yeasty spice and the slightest hint of red cranberry to create a long, long finish. This is a sexy, elegant Brut Rosé!” - Rollin Soles, winemaker
95 INTERNATIONAL WINE REPORT
95 WASHINGTON WINE BLOG
94 WINE ENTHUSIAST (EDITORS' CHOICE)
91 WINE SPECTATOR
