Brightwater Vineyards 'Sophies Kiss' Rose 2015

From the exceptional 2015 vintage in the Nelson region the wine has been made from beautifully ripe fruit with slightly lower brix at harvest than normal, the result is a wine with modest a alcohol level and a delicious palate weight and a texture that is packed with spiced summer berry flavours. Delightful ripe acidity in the finish balances the small amount of residual sugar that provides the rounded mouthfeel. The wine finishes long and dry. A fantastic Pinot Noir Rose from this very reliable producer. Wine maker release notes say: This wine is made from Pinot Noir grapes grown on our sustainable certified Home and Sturkenboom Vineyards. the vines were carefully shoot thinned and leaf plucked to give the berries optimum exposure to the sun. Slow to ripen bunches were removed by hand thus ensuring the grapes were perfectly ripe at the time of picking. 40% of the grapes were hand picked and whole bunch pressed giving the very delicate berry and floral characters with minimal colour and tannin extraction. The other 0% was juice bled from our Pinot Noir fermenters after 24 hours of cold soak. This portion contributed the more robust berry fruit flavours and tannins along with a richer colour and mouthfeel. The two portions were then cool fermented with neutral yeast to maximise the varietal aroma and flavours. After 30 days on yeast lees the wine was assembled and bottled.