This unique Rosé with onion skin hues was fermented in old French oak, and lees stirred for 12 months. This bone dry Rosé has Lerida's signature bright cherry, raspberry and rose petal fruit with a spicy contrast.  The fruit is wonderfully balanced with a complex, mouth filling texture and a very long finish.  This is a superb food wine. The wine is mainly Pinot Noir with 8% Shiraz which adds elusive spicy and cedar notes. All grapes are from our Lake George vineyard.  Drink now or keep for up to 2 years. Serve at 11-12 C

Sur Lie is the French expression for ‘on the lees’

‘Lees’ is the coarse sediment, which consists mainly of dead yeast cells and small grape particles that accumulate during fermentation. Wine makers believe that certain wines benefit from being aged sur lie. Now a common practice, Sur Lie was discovered in the 17th century by what could be considered, an accident. French winemakers who produced muscadet would traditionally set aside a barrel of this wine for a special family occasion, such as a wedding. This became known as the “ Honeymoon Barrel”. These barrels, due to the extended contact with the residual yeast  (lees) in the fermentation tanks, would produce wines with more flavor and complexity.

The lees, in a way, act as a buffer between the wine and the oak of the fermenting tanks. This allows the wines to maintain their color and prevents them from becoming too harsh and tannic. Wines aged Sur Lie tend to have a more creamy, full bodied texture over those aged in a traditional manner, and have a more complex flavour than those made in stainless steel tanks.

Wines traditionally aged Sur Lie are sparkling wines made using the ‘methode champenoise’ method . With sparkling wines made this way, the second fermentation occurs in the bottle where the wine is aged (sometimes for up to 10 years) until the lees are disgorged. The Lerida Estate 2006 Brut Rosé is made using the ‘methode champenoise’ method.

Awards

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