2018 Isenhower Cellars Cabernet Franc Rosé

Full Pull

• By Paul Zitarelli
  Full Pull Rosé at Dawn, 3/6/2019, (See more on Full Pull...)

  (Isenhower Cabernet Franc Rose) Hello friends. There’s a battle in every heroic story where it’s clear the good guys are going to lose. Too many hours have been wasted with misdirection; there aren’t enough able-bodied men and women left to fight; the bad guys have blocked all the exits; the odds are stacked against them. Whatever the reason, our heroes are in peril. It happened to Aragorn and Theoden at the battle for Helm’s Deep, as they rode out one last time to certain death. It happened to Jon Snow [SPOILER] at the Battle of the Bastards, as he gasped for breath while falling into a mountain of fellow northmen. It happened to Buzz Lightyear, as Sid strapped him to a rocket to be sent into space. I like to imagine the doldrums of winter as one such battle. Mid-February hits and I begin wonder: Is this how it ends—surrounded by eternal cold? Will I have enough sweaters to make it to spring? I already used all my frequent flyer miles to go somewhere warm last month—will my bare skin ever feel sunlight again? But that’s never how it ends, right? We all know what’s next: salvation. Gandalf arrives at sunrise on the fifth day with a stampede of riders. The Knights of the Vale cascade into Winterfell to oust Ramsay. Woody and the mutant toys team up to save Buzz and return home before Andy notices. In my personal battle, I am saved from winter’s treacherous hold the day we start offering rosé. My bones may still be cold, and my sweater drawer in full use, but the promise of a summer full of high-quality pink juice keeps me going through these final weeks of winter. I promise, spring is just moments away—which means summer is right around the corner. It’s time for rosé. Cabernet Franc truly is one of the greats when it comes to rosé varieties. (And Isenhower is one of the greats when it comes to Cab Franc rosé!) The combination of the grape’s signature strawberry and green, earthy qualities creates a thoughtful wine that reaches beyond patio pounder. That being said, you could easily get through a bottle of this on a back porch in no time flat. The Loire Valley has been making rosé like this for well over 100 years, and that region serves as Isenhower’s inspiration. They go about this bottling in a simple, yet purposeful way: pick early, allow destemmed grapes to soak up color overnight, ferment the juice in stainless steel tanks, and bottle early. The nose immediately offers explanation for why Franc is such a lovely choice for rosé. In addition to delightful pink fruit—strawberry and watermelon—Franc’s signature greenies assert themselves wonderfully: cucumber, arugula, pea shoots, melon rind. It’s complex and attractive with equally as much earth as fruit—and loads of bright orangey-citrus notes. The palate follows through with pointed acidity, surging alongside that same balance of berries, greens, and citrus. With a listed alcohol of 12.7%, this is just about the perfect companion for sunshine, afternoon drinking, and aperitif pairing. (Think: that first 70-degree day in March.) It would be divine with earthy, vegetal, creamy cheeses—Boucheron from the Loire Valley or California’s vegetable ash-lined Humboldt Fog—and equally delicious with a couple barbecue chicken legs eaten outside while the west coast sun still burns at 7:00 pm.