2018 Le P’Tit Paysan, Rosé “Pierre’s Pirouette” Central Coast.
The Ian Brand made Le P’Tit Paysan, Rosé, which is Bandol inspired is a dry beauty in the glass with striking crisp detail and energy with brisk grapefruit, strawberry, sour cherry and watermelon fruits, wet stone, mineral notes, rosewater and savory white pepper spice. this vintage of Pierre’s Pirouette is exquisitely crafted using 61% Mourvédre, 34% Grenache and 5% Cinsault, which helps explain the structure and intensity found here on the palate of this ultra pale pinkish wine. This is the perfect wine for Opening Day, I mean Rosé season, but it will be equally good with baseball season, Go Giants! 2018 is going to be a legendary vintage for the central coast, it’s is already showing a purity, class and depth that is absolutely stunning and all with heightened perfume and vibrancy.
Brand’s steely fresh Le P’Tit Paysan, Rosé “Pierre’s Pirouette” according to the winery, is crafted from some Grenache from the granitic alluvium of Arroyo Seco, which adds the bright tang, plus more Grenache, some Mourvédre, and Cinsault comes from the calcium rich Aguajito Shale bluffs above the Arroyo Seco River, with the meat of this wine, more powerful Mourvédre from the calcareous alluvium around the San Benito Arroyo. The grapes were picked below 22 brix, with bright natural acidity with each each lot seeing on average of about just 6 hours of skin contact. This 2018 Le P’Tit Paysan Dry Rosé was fermented in several lots at cold temperatures for fresh detail, bright aromatics, brisk acidity, elegant minerality and it delivers a diverse set of flavors. Ian used only stainless steel fermentation and aging along with an arrested secondary fermentation, with zero malos and it was sterile filtered.
This is a wine that begs for a beach and warm sunsets, but can offer enough seriousness to go with a vast array of cuisine choices, and I can’t wait to enjoy it with mussels in a spicy broth! Ian Brand’s latest releases are simply awesome and each wine shows a distinct personality and while his Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Mourvèdre grab the headlines, you’ll want to stock up on his latest “Pierre’s Pirouette” Rosé, especially this vintage. If you want some cool, chalky and crisp Rosé this season be sure to find this wine it’s one of the state’s best, along with Bedrock’s Ode to Lulu, Arnot-Roberts’ Touriga Rosé, Tablas Creek’s set of pinks, Bonny Doon’s Cigare Vin Gris, Poe’s Meunier based Rosé and others, this Brand Rosé is tasty stuff!
($19 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive