Donkey & Goat Isabel's Cuvee Grenache Rosé Mendocino

Kudos to my friend Richard for introducing me to this wine - in fact to the producer in general. What a fun, funky line-up of wines they have, and all made by hand. As in no machinery involved. As in foot-stomping the grapes like Lucille Ball. The first thing you notice about the wine, aside from it's maraschino cherry color, is that there is about a half-inch of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. The wine is aged on its lees - unusual for rosé - and clearly not fined or filtered. This is just about unheard of. And I LOVE it.

The aromas are all framed within the context of this sweet yeastiness. There is fruit, but it's like an angel food cake with strawberries and cherries poured over the top. But the fun really starts in the mouth. There is a hint of spritz - either from the screw cap or made that way intentionally - which, in combination with fresh acidity, makes the wine vibrant on the palate. There is a tiny bit of residual sugar, too. Not enough to make the wine taste sweet, just juicy with cherry and red berry fruits. There's also a little tannin, adding texture to the mouthfeel that is not at all unwelcome.

I honestly cannot find anything about this wine that I don't like. Except the fact that I only have one bottle, and only 4 places in the state carry it.

Vintage: 2010
Region: Mendocino, California
Grape: Grenache
Price: $20