Nxnw - North By Northwest Rose 2016

North by Northwest was founded in 2005 by the King family with the vision to handcraft varietally pure wines from the finest vineyards in Walla Walla Valley and Columbia Valley AVAs, which straddle the border of Washington and Oregon. We partner with like-minded vineyard owners, with an eye on sustainable viticultural practices. Our guiding principle is simple: produce a quality wine, for wine lovers.

TASTING NOTES 2016

North by Northwest Columbia Valley Rosé has a pretty light pink color with salmon-orange hues. There is fresh citrus and key lime pie on the nose with rose water and passion fruit tinges. The palate echoes the nose with fresh lemon zest, ripe white peach, pineapple and grapefruit. These flavors are anchored by a laser-focused acidity that narrows the fresh fruit flavors in a sharp and pleasant finish.

WINEMAKING PROCESS

After a thorough hand sorting process, fruit selected for the 2016 vintage was fermented in 100% stainless steel tanks, which were temperature controlled to maximize fruit character. This wine benefited from sur lie aging for 3 months prior to bottling.

VINTAGE NOTES

The 2016 harvest yields exceeded projections, even with extra thinning, because clusters were heavy with fat, juicy berries. The year started off unusually warm, putting bud break and bloom a couple of weeks ahead of normal. In June, though, temperatures dropped to more typical levels and stayed cool through harvest, giving the fruit time to ripen slowly. The result is a vintage notable for beautiful color, great structure, good natural acidity and full flavor development.