Tallarook Rose 2004 - LifeStyle Cellars

What does one do with a few barrels of 'free-run'? For most winemakers, it seems, the answer is simple:
Stick it into a steel tank, ferment with cultured yeasts, interrupt fermentation at semi-sweetness and impose the indifferent to monstrous result on an unsuspecting customer, who comes to believe that that is how Rosé is meant to be.

Well, at TALLAROOK we approached things differently:
After short skin contact at low temperatures (cold soak) we drew off some free-run juice, straight into old French oak barrels. We allowed the juice to ferment with indigenous yeasts, which combined with barrel derived intricacies to yield fascinating, complex patterns of flavour. We fermented to dryness and finished the resulting wine without fining, further enhancing its sophistication.

The result: a fresh, fruitful yet classy wine, a wine we are happy to associate with the TALLAROOK name.

Our customers seemed to agree with us: we sold out within just a few weeks: tellingly, most of the sales came from 'repeat orders': those who bought a trial case quickly ordered more.