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Wine Details
Price:
Description:
In a time where “red state” and
“blue state” have divisively entered the
popular vernacular, it is heartening to
observe that every corner of the US
has the potential to be a “pink state.”
Let all the al fresco café habitués take a
bow—pink wine appears finally to be
à la mode. Rarely has a wine evacuated
the premises like our first Big House
Pink.Who could have guessed that
pink wine would take the country by
storm? Might the lurid carmine
integument have something to do
with it? The flock of flamingos? The
strong spring season in South Beach?
Or could it actually be a sign
that Fortuna’s wheel has
turned and sophisticated,
dry rosé now enjoys a
similarly sophisticated
clientele?
In this vintage we again
congregate a blend of primarily
Italian varieties—the oft neglected
Sardinians represented herein by
carignano—along with a dash of
zinfandel and charbono, which, if it is
not Italian, certainly should be.
Unlike the more cerebral Vin Gris
de Cigare, in Big House Pink the
front and center fruity notes
dominate most of the organoleptic
real estate.This pink is flush with
strawberry guava and hibiscus
notes. And those who fondly
remember Jolly Rancher
watermelon candies will
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Varietal Definition
Carignane:
Carignane is one of the world’s most prolific wine varieties. Thriving in warm climates, Carignane was until the late 1970s, the most widely-planted red variety in California. Hailing from Aragon, Spain, this grape is capable of deeply-colored, extracted and tannic wines of considerable alcohol. It is a late-budder and does not ripen until late in the season. Highly prone to mildew disease, it requires long, dry growing conditions. It is often used as a blending component with other, more anemic, hot-climate varieties, like Grenache and Cinsault, which typically lack the deep pigment and extract which Carignane brings to the blend.
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Charbono:
Red-wine creating grape grown on small acreages in California. Some have argued that it is a clone of the now sparsely grown Douce Noir grape found in the Savoie region of France, better known as the Dolcetto grape widely grown in northern Italy
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Zinfandel:
Zinfandel is a variety of red grape planted in over 10 percent of California wine vineyards. DNA fingerprinting revealed that it is genetically equivalent to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kaštelanski, and also the Primitivo variety traditionally grown in the 'heel' of Italy. It is typically made into a robust red wine. Its taste depends on the ripeness of the grapes from which it is made. Red berry fruits like raspberry predominate in wines from cooler areas such as the Napa Valley, whereas blackberry, anise and pepper notes are more common in wines made in warmer areas such as Sonoma County. Many Zinfandels come from head pruned ‘Old Vines’. ‘Old Vine’ is generally understood to mean a vine that is more than 50 years old and that produces less than three tons per acre. ‘Head Pruning’ is an old European style of pruning that trains the vine into the shape of a goblet. It requires no wires or other complex trellis systems. Head pruning spreads the fruit uniformly along the vine and allows light penetration.In the USA a semi-sweet Rosé (blush-style) wine called ‘White Zinfandel’ has achieved widespread popularity. In fact, this popularity has so outstripped all other forms that many fans think there is actually a grape called “White Zinfandel” (there isn’t)!
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