Vintage:

2019

Appellation:

Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara County

Composition:

40% Cinsault, 35% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre

2019-C Railsback Freres Les Rascasses Rose, Santa Ynez Valley, California (750ml)   


A Seasonal Rosé Club Selection
Railsback Frères began as a rosé project in 2014 by brothers Lyle and Eric Railsback, who call their rosé Les Rascasses (scorpion fish in French) as an homage to Lulu Peyraud. Lulu is the 101-year-old proprietress of benchmark producer Domaine Tempier in Bandol, maker of their favorite rosé in Provence.

Lyle does National Sales for Kermit Lynch, the importer of Tempier among other French greats. His brother Eric started Lieu Dit wines in Santa Barbara, inspired by wines of the Loire valley, and is a partner in Verve Wine in NYC and San Francisco. Eric approached his brother when he found access to some Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault in the Santa Ynez Valley, producing their first rosé with the ‘original recipe’ of Bandol: direct-to-press, vinified and aged in neutral French oak barrels for 6 months, and with malolactic completed for a slightly more rounded texture. Two years later they partnered with Presqu’ile Winery in Santa Maria, where they now make the wines using only wild yeast fermentation. The blend in 2019 is 40% Cinsault, 35% Grenache, and 25% Mourvèdre hand-picked from September 19th to 30th. All the fruit came from the Camp Four vineyard in Santa Ynez. Built on the site of an original Stagecoach stop, today Camp Four is owned by the Chumash Native American tribe and has a unique terroir of marine sedimentary “loam” soils. Daily coastal breezes here help maintain cold nights and a greater diurnal temperature shift. Deceptively austere aromas of red fruits. The palate delivers more intensity than the nose suggests is in store, with complex flavors of green apple, tart raspberry and a lovely earthiness. The texture is broad and round with a long, languid finish.

Vintage:

2019

Appellation:

Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara County

Composition:

40% Cinsault, 35% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre