Rose Hill Vineyards June 2021

By LONG ISLAND WINE DAD July 01, 2021

Today is our first visit to Rose Hill Vineyards, and we explored the vineyards, enjoyed a tasting flight, and made a lunch out of their small plate's menu. Rose hill was magnificent overall so that we will be returning. Rose hill Vineyards is a new name to well-established winery Shinn Estates. Unfortunately, Jo and I did not have a chance to visit Shinn estates before the changeover, so we cannot highlight the differences but explored Rose Hill as a completely new winery. The vineyard is easy to find as it is just down the road from Lieb Cellars on Oregon road. The view over the vineyard is striking, peaceful, and relaxing [1].

There are many seating options, including an inside tasting room, a Patio (with massive umbrellas) [2] [4] [6] [9], and on the lawn under large covering sails [3] [5]. The inside tasting room is spacious, with a bar [20], shop [12], tables, and overstuffed couches to choose from [8]. The tasting room is festooned with many wine bottles and is adjacent to the barrel room [10] [11] [13]. The Patio is also large with a tasting bar, tables of various sizes, and both chairs and benches for seating. The view from the Patio is out over the lawn seating and the vineyard beyond that [7]. The lawn seating is very expansive, and sizeable overhead sail cloths cover most tables.

The tasting flight is a "New Release Flight" consisting of 5 generous (about 3 oz) pours [14]. The first wine is a 2020 First Fruit Sauvignon Blanc that is crisp with good acid produced from 100% steel fermented Sauvignon Blanc. It is unoaked and retains both the acid and fruit, similar to a New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The mouthfeel was light with a medium to short finish. The wine presented clear notes of Grapefruit, Kiwi, and a touch of lime. Next up was the 2020 Concrete Blonde; this is a Sauvignon Blanc, but rather than fermented in Steel it was fermented in a concrete egg. The wine presents quite differently from the First Fruit as the concrete egg buffered the acid slightly. As a result, the mouthfeel is a bit fuller and a step closer to a French Sancerre. The nose was a bit more floral and, on the palette, more Kiwi and melon. The 2020 Rose Hill Rośe is a blend of 95% Merlot, 2.5% Riesling, and 2.5% Chardonnay. Dry, light, crisp, and pale in color is similar to a French Provence style rośe that presents Strawberry and sharp Citrus on the palette. The 2020 Rose is a 100% merlot-based Rośe, and the color is a bit richer. The 2020 Rose has a good acid balance, mouthfeel, and intense notes of Watermelon combined with a floral nose. Lastly is the 2020 Cabernet Franc. The Franc is a pure expression of the fruit as it is a Nuovo wine, Steel fermented, and untouched by oak. Light body, rich in color, and very fruit forward with clear notes of cherry, dark fruits, and a bit of tobacco.

Of course, when paired with food, wine accentuates both, and we had a selection of the small plates from the menu [15]. As the visit was both a tasting and a light lunch, we ordered several items from the light bites' menu, including the Charcuterie Board, the Crostini Basket, and the Mediterranean Basket.

The Charcuterie Board was a generous selection of meats, cheeses, and accompaniments the is more than enough for two people [16]. The meats were fresh and consisted of salami and Prosciutto. There were three kinds of cheese, and I forgot to ask what they were. One was a Brie followed by an American drunken goat with a wine-washed rind, and the third might have been an asiago, but all were good. Accompanying the meats and cheeses were crackers, fig compote, cocktail gherkins, and whole seed mustard. Next up was the Crostini basket again, more than enough for two [17]. The Crostini came with a herbed goat cheese spread and Bruschetta, which parried remarkably well with the Cabernet Franc. Lastly, the Mediterranean basket is a good helping of naan bread along with a delicate green olive tapenade and Hummus [18]. Next time I will need to sample the Lobster Sliders.

Overall, we spent over an hour at Rose Hill and had a wonderful time. We left with four bottles in hand, and I am looking forward to returning, maybe even joining the Rose Hill wine club [19].