Rosé of Mourvèdre, Stolpman Vineyards 'Para Maria'

The 2022 Para Maria Rosé finally brings their Mourvèdre Rosé vision full circle. When vineyard manager, Ruben, and owner Peter, visited Domaine Tempier in Bandol back in June of 2019, the verticals of Mourvèdre Rosé blew their minds perhaps even more so than the reds. Immediately following this epiphany in France, they began blending the bottom of the Pliocene Mourvèdre block into their Estate Rosé. 

Uber fresh orange blossom and hibiscus.  Crunchy and bright with a zesty red fruit layer charging through the palate right up to the crisp finish.  Bone dry and only 11% alcohol, like all great Mourvèdre Rosé, the tactile layers carry the day.  As the wine settles into the glass and warms up, a misty ground-fog of airy texture creeps through the mouth allowing the tangy, spicy fruit profile to swirl, elevated within.

Cold and windy conditions in the spring led to a small crop with grapes bursting with flavor concentration. They were forecasting a late harvest until a Labor Day heat wave sped ripening up across the board. They opted to catch the Grenache prior to the heat wave, maintaining verve and energy. For late-ripening Mourvèdre, sugars remained low and continued to slowly accumulate through the heat wave and the week following. Like the Grenache, they picked on the early-side, even for rosé, and the earlier ripening Grenache wound up as a slightly riper, fruitier blender to ensure deliciousness alongside the high-toned acidity and texture of the Mourvèdre.