Tolosa Winery Rose of Pinot Noir 2017
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Wilfred
Wong
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Rose, yes they have become a dime a dozen, but they are adding fun to the marketplace. The 2017 Tolosa Rosé of Pinot is a first-rate, and a serious effort. TASTING NOTES: This wine has a lot going for it. Its aromas and flavors of mineral and cranberry suggest a pairing with fresh salmon sashimi. (Tasted: August 17, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
Cowboy dreams of owning a cattle ranch brought Tolosa’s founder Robin Baggett to the San Luis Obispo Coast 40 years ago. The cold Pacific wind and soils from ancient seabed to limestone made him realize he was on a frontier of a different sort: a remarkable place for Pinot Noir. A true believer in terroir and the deepest evocation of place, Tolosa is the expression of his commitment to discover special coastal vineyards throughout California and to spare no effort to craft nuanced and balanced Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of distinctive character to rival any in the world.
Robin has entrusted winemaker Frederic Delivert with the expression of cool climate Pinot Noir through the wines of Tolosa. Maybe it was destiny. Tolosa is named after the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, the mission dedicated to Saint Louis, Bishop of Toulouse. Frederic hails from Toulouse, France. He was introduced to Tolosa and the San Luis Obispo Coast just in time for the 2017 harvest. He immediately perceived that the combination of Pacific influences and unique soil compositions of Edna Valley provide an incredible palette for very special wines.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
California’s coolest wine growing area, Edna Valley excels in the production of high quality Central Coast wines like Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Rhône Blends and aromatic white wines. It has a cool Mediterranean climate and an incredibly long growing season, giving late-ripening varieties plenty of opportunity to develop great phenolic complexity.
Its northwest to southeast orientation creates a direct path for cool Pacific air and fog to penetrate the valley from the Los Osos and Morro Bay area inwards. Low hillsides of both calcareous and volcanic soils are home to much of the vineyard acreage of the Edna Valley.