Think about all the crimes perpetuated by the French. Got some stale bread? No problem, call it brioche. Sick of having to waste that sweet, sweet cow-face meat? No worries, call it tete de veau and serve it with such supercilious surliness that every critic drinks the Coolade, I mean Orangina.
I'm calling them out because one crime is too close to my heart. Pissy, effete Rosé. Describe your Rosé's colour as salmon, I say no thanks. You say peacock eye, aah no no. Copper quince, no merci mon ami. Give me red, give me body, give me bloody flavour. Hurts to say it, but the Spanish get it.
So to spare you a rant, let's just say the MK Rosé is juicy, it's vivacious, it's your overweight neighbour washing the concrete with a hanky as a hat. Chill it down, invite a friend, a person you want to be a friend, a person who thinks you're a friend but you're just bored, hell, anyone will do, and crunch it down with a plate of little frankfurts and tomato sauce.
Site: Eminence Vineyard, Whitlands, King Valley, Victoria. The Whitlands is termed “the river in the sky”. Lava flow from a volcanic eruption in nearby township tolmie flowed to create this epic parcel of dirt. Eroded lava flow which has created 8m of ferrosol, iron rich volcanic top soil. 830m elevation.
Production: 50% Pinot Meunier and 50% Chardonnay from the Eminence vineyard. Lightly crushed and de-stemmed and straight into the press for a long and slow press over 6 hours with a yield of roughly 65%. Wild fermented in stainless steel and then settled and transferred to old oak. Partial malolactic fermentation and aged for 8 months. 2 further rackings during this time, bottled with a small addition of sulphur unfined and unfiltered.
Tasting notes: Aromatics of gardenia-infused aspirin and a palate of french toast with yuzu butter. A particularly viscous little wine, highly recommended to pair with poached scallops or an artisanal jam donut.
