Bress 2010 Harcourt Valley Rose Cabernets

The Name

Whilst living and winemaking in the Yarra Valley, I discovered the joys of breeding and showing chickens.  This passion led me to visit France in 1996 to witness first hand their traditional methods of breeding chickens and I dedicate our wines to the famous chickens of France and what they represent – artisan production using traditional, age old methods.

The Vineyard

This Rose blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc was grown in our 25 year old vineyard situated in the Harcourt Valley, Central Victoria.  Harcourt Valley is uncharacteristically cool for a Central Victorian wine region.  Nestled between the Mount Alexander range and a large ridge called Porcupine Hill, the valley is subject to particularly cool mornings and afternoon shading due to Porcupine Hill.  This combination results in a prolonged growing season which produces intensely flavoured fruit. The vines were caned pruned and crop thinned to produce crops of less than 2 tonnes to the acre.  It is this low-cropped fruit that has, in large part, produced such a full flavoured wine.

Winemaking:

My winemaking belief is that good fruit should be treated gently and with minimal intervention.   The Bress 2010 Harcourt Valley Rose Cabernets was treated in this manner, with the fruit gently destemmed and pressed directly to stainless steel tanks.  Fermentation was conducted by indigeous yeasts.  Post fermentation the wine was lees stirred, then settled, blended and gently filtered prior to bottling in June.

Tasting Notes:

This wine is affectionately called the “Wimbledon of Rosé”.

Colour:  Very pale salmon. 

Aroma:  The wine offers a complex array of fruit aromas of strawberries, spice and green and red skinned fruits. 

Palate:   The wine is deliberately made as a dry style Rose after some prompting.  It has very attractive Rose flavours of strawberry cream lollies, cinnamon spice and green skinned fruits.  There is a textural and savoury mid palate richness evident in the wine due to lees stirring.  The finish is unctuous, well rounded and has a lovely acid balance which ensures the wine has good length.

 Please enjoy this traditionally made hand crafted wine.