Flowers Rose Sonoma Coast 2019 (750ml)

Our Rose of Pinot Noir is elegant and distinct, with bright notes and an uplifting acidity reminiscent of our signature, coastal expressiveness.

 

Flowers Rose Sonoma Coast 2019

 

Every Flowers wine is made to express the land where it was farmed.  Our coastal proximity and high-elevation vineyards give our wine its distinct minerality and fresh acidity.  Farmed sustainably, fermented with 100% native yeast, and crafted with minimal intervention in the cellar, Flowers Rosé is a pure expression of the rugged and extreme Sonoma Coast.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Elegant and distinct with aromas of peach, strawberry, and subtle hints of rose petal.  Bursts of fresh citrus colorfully drive the palate and are balanced with flavors of nectarine and stone fruit.  A silky entrance coupled with fresh and uplifting acidity leaves you with our signature coastal expressiveness.

 

Technical Information

 

Varietal:  100% Pinot Noir

 

Alcohol:  13.0%

 

Vintage Notes

 

There is a great deal of beauty and expression to be found in the 2019 vintage.  The growing season began with a cool winter and heavy rainfall, we even had snow on our estate!  We already had cover crop coming up at this time so the snow really oxygenated soils and brought them to life.  Spring was clear and bright with early bud break and cool sunny days.  Summer followed with mild temperatures allowing moderate ripening and resulting in an eloquent and expressive vintage with superb fruit quality.

 

Sourcing

 

Sourced from a small selection of family-owned coastal vineyards as well as our Sea View Ridge estate.  All grapes are farmed specifically for Flowers Rosé, allowing us to pick at optimal ripeness for a fresh, vibrant wine.

 

Fermentation:  100% Native Yeast

 

Aging:  90% Stainless Steel, 10% Neutral Oak Barrels

 

Winemaking

 

Wilderness Winemakers

 

Telling the story of the land

 

Great winemaking begins with great farming.  This belief is what initially led us to the remote coastal ridges of the extreme Sonoma Coast, and it continues to drive everything we do.  From farming using a blend of organic and sustainable practices to fermenting our wine with 100% native yeast.  We believe that the extreme conditions of vineyard sites should be embraced, not controlled and each wine should be a unique representation of place and time.  It’s not the easy way to make wine, but we believe it’s the only way.

 

Chantal Forthun

 

Head Winemaker

 

“Each vintage gives us a fresh opportunity to attentively farm our Sonoma Coast vineyards and take these grapes from vine to bottle.  At Flowers, ‘minimal intervention’ doesn’t mean hands-off; it actually means more hands are involved in the preparation, requiring us to be present in each moment, through every step of the process.”

 

Sustainable Farming

 

Using a blend of organic and sustainable farming practices, we harness the true potential of our extreme vineyard sites.  The grapes benefit from the influence of the nearby Pacific Ocean, which provides cool daytime breezes to ensure proper ripening and evening fog to guarantee lively acidity for freshness in the finished wines.

 

Harvest

 

Our harvest begins every fall beneath the moonlight.  Given the extremes of our vineyard sites, each small block ripens at its own pace.  Grapes are monitored for their ideal brix level and each cluster is picked by hand throughout the night and into the early morning to ensure fruit quality and freshness in the wine.

 

Minimal Intervention In The Cellar

 

Every winemaker has the opportunity intervene in the natural winemaking process to impact the color, flavor, aroma and texture of their wine – but at Flowers we do not.  We want our wine to be a pure expression of our unique coastal terroir and the vintage.

 

100% Native Yeast Fermentation

 

Yeast is the magic in the winemaking process, as it is the catalyst for fermentation.  And although there is natural yeast all around us, most wineries will purchase yeast strains from the store and use them to control the fermentation process.  At Flowers, we use 100% native yeast in all our wines, thus relying on the wild yeast that gets carried in on the grapes from the vineyard for fermentation.  We believe our yeast strain gives our wine a unique identity and in 2015 we began sending out samples for DNA fingerprinting.

 

Unique & Pure

 

We have been shocked to learn that we had a common strain of yeast throughout all of our wines that is carried in through our vineyards – and this strain is 100% unique to Flowers, meaning there is no genetic relationship to any commercial yeast on the market.  Although using native yeast is uncommon, we believe that it is necessary to showcase the purity of our fruit and power of our vineyards.

 

 

Flowers Vineyards & Winery

 

Our Story

 

Crafted Without Compromise.

 

Wines with a sense of place.  People with a sense of purpose.

 

We’ve been called wilderness winemakers, purists in our craft, and downright crazy for planting such temperamental grapes in our harsh environment.  For nearly 30 years we’ve been growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the rugged Sonoma Coast.  It’s a challenge, but we think great things rarely come easy.  Through all that time our goal has stayed the same — make exceptional wines with balance, elegance, and respect for the land.  We believe nature knows best and that the less we interfere, the more the authentic voice of the land is allowed to emerge.  We look at ourselves as facilitators, not manipulators.  So we step back and let Mother Nature do what she does best — a mix of biodynamic and organic farming in the vineyard for healthy soil; and minimal intervention in the cellar to showcase the purity of the fruit and the beauty of the land.

 

History

 

Pioneers of the Sonoma Coast

 

A love of wine and a passion for agriculture

 

Nearly 30 years ago, Flowers Vineyards & Winery pioneered the growing of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the rugged coastal ridges of the extreme Sonoma Coast.  Joan and Walt Flowers had a simple goal — make exceptional wine that captures the wild beauty of the land and the spirit of the Sonoma Coast.  This passion drives everything we do — farming responsibly, harvesting by hand, using 100% native fermentation, and crafting wine with minimal intervention.  Our unwavering commitment to creating distinctive wines that capture the spirit of the Sonoma Coast has been the bedrock of our success, and will continue to guide us for years to come.

 

Today

 

Nearly 30 years after Joan and Walt first stepped onto the Camp Meeting Ridge property our commitment to making Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that express the true character of the land has not changed.  In those thirty years we’ve perfected our farming, pushed the boundaries of our winemaking, and connected with lovers of cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay around the world.  As we look to the future we can’t wait to continue our journey as stewards of the lands and pioneers of balanced and terroir-driven wines.