Hey Mambo

2010 Kinky Pink

87 Points, "Best Buy"

Wine Enthusiast, September 2011

Notes

With a pale strawberry hue, the 2010 Hey Mambo Kinky Pink blend boasts aromas of candied orange, light strawberry notes, and wisteria blossom. The flavor of this wine shows bright notes of tangerine, tart cherry, key lime pie filling, sweet plum, and finishes with strawberry lemonade.

This wine comes from the Merwin Vineyard in Clarksburg. In early September, we picked Clones 667 and 777 from the southern end of the block and took this wine straight to the press. The wine stayed in the press from 6pm until 10 am the next morning; the press was set to roll the tank 3 times over the course of the night in order to maximize the fruity extraction of this rose. Pommard Clones from the same vineyard were also used in this blend; this lot was crushed to a tank and left overnight. 10% of the lot was drained off using the Saingee method (literally “bleeding” off the tank). The dollop of Chardonnay added body to the blend and gave the wine a full mouthfeel. The sum of these parts makes a wonderfully bright and fruity rose.

Pairings

This is a good wine for summer foods; it can practically be an appetizer on its own. Serve this wine with a summer salad topped with toasted almonds, tangerine and raspberry vinaigrette, shrimp ceviche topped with wedges of lime, or with grilled chicken tacos and mango salsa.

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