2022 Josie Rosé
Marsh Creek Vineyard, Contra Costa County
100% Mourvèdre | 12.4 % alcohol by volume | 190 cases produced
Released: September 21, 2023 | Retail: $23/bottle

Inspiration: Josie is the name of my daughter and first-born child.  She is demure and lovely - a gentle rose flower - just like this gorgeous rosé wine that bears her name.  Her whole life, Josie has always been in love with all things PINK and when I started making wine, of course she wanted me to make a pink one.  Around our homestead we’ve always enjoyed drinking rosé wines, especially those from the Bandol region of Provence where the Mourvèdre grape is famous!  It’s my love of Josie, her love of pink, and my passion for Bandol style rosé wine that I craft Josie a 100% varietal rosé of Mourvèdre!

Vintage: All over Northern California, yields were down significantly in 2022, but quality of the smaller crop was extremely high.  The growing season was moderate and consistent.  The weather was excellent in 2022, with mild temperatures at the end of the growing season, concluding with a smooth and successful harvest.  Picking began early in many regions including the North Coast and Contra Costa County where picking ranged from a week to several weeks ahead of average.  The ongoing drought presented challenges for growers, resulting in reduced yields, outstanding quality and great concentration in the fruit.  We harvested 2 weeks later than in 2021 and about on par with our 2020 pick date.

Vineyard:  Marsh Creek Vineyard, in Brentwood California, on the rolling hills at the base of Mount Diablo approximately 25 miles east of the San Francisco Bay and 6 miles to the south of the San Joaquin River Delta.  These 2 significant bodies of water create a vast diurnal temperature swing providing warm sunny days and cool, breezy nights ideal for grape growing.  The vineyard lies within the Contra Costa County AVA.  Marsh Creek flows along the base of the vineyards, providing a water source for this warm area.  Homes in the Trilogy at the Vineyards community are nestled amongst 37 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards comprised of 6 different grape varieties - including our 2-acre block of clone 1 Mourvèdre which was planted in 2006 on rootstock 140R.  The UC Davis school of viticulture hand-picked the root stocks and clones for Marsh Creek ensuring a perfect balance for this terroir.  Sustainable farming practices are strictly followed.  Hundreds of residents at Trilogy are our watchful eyes on the vines, and their health and well-being is a priority for farming considerations in the vineyard.  

Winemaking: The Marsh Creek grapes were harvested by hand on August 24th, beginning pre-dawn at 5:45am, at 19.5 brix, and immediately trucked to the urban winery in San Francisco.  Upon arrival the grapes were then hand sorted, and half of the fruit delivered direct to press, where press fractions were cut at 0.8 bar.  The other half were lady foot stomped to add color, by Josie herself, before going to press.  After cold crashing to a freezing temperature to settle solids, the juice was racked to a temperature controlled stainless-steel tank for fermentation.  After one-week, spontaneous fermentation did not occur, so we decided to inoculate the juice with Osia organic yeast.  We maintained peak fermentation temperatures below 65F to retain aromatics and allowed fermentation to finish completely dry in tank, where it was then aged sur lie for 4 months.  In early January 2022 the wine was racked off the lees to cold stabilize.  Finally, it was sterile filtered to prevent malolactic fermentation in bottle and bottled on July 21st, 2023.  The wine was allowed to rest in bottle for 2 months before its release on September 21st.

Tasting Notes: strawberry, almond and peach blossom nose.  A savory salinity leads to strawberry-guava fruit punch on the pallet with a Juicy Fruit gum finish.  Seductive, fresh and chuggable.

Food + situational pairing: Sushi, lobster rolls, eggs benedict, quiche, grilled or smoked salmon, caviar, gruyere cheese, pommes frites, tortilla Española and patatas bravas.  Perfect for brunch, picnics, as an aperitif, a daytime poolside sipper or porch pounder. 

“Rosé All Day!”

-Ben Doren
Doren Wines
winemaker/proprietor