2018 Lytle-Barnett Brut Rosé

Taking the classic varietals of both Champagne and Oregon’s Willamette Valley–Chardonnay and Pinot Noir– to build this vintage Brut Rosé starts from a selection from all of our vineyards. The hand-picked grapes from the various blocks were chilled overnight to allow for a gentle press cycle the next day in a traditional pneumatic press. The lots were then fermented separately and aged in either French oak barrels or stainless steel drums. Adding to the diversity, malolactic fermentation was promoted in a portion of lots to build another layer of complexity and soften the mid-palate attack. Ultimately, as with all of the Lytle-Barnett Brut Rosés, the art is in the blending choices. Fine tuning and selecting the lots that work together most harmoniously, we settled on a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. The wine was bottled in April of 2019 and allowed to age sur latte (on its lees in the bottle) until disgorging and finishing in October of 2024. Upon disgorgement, it was decided a gentle dose of 7 g/L would bring perfect balance and mid-palate weight to the joyful acidity of the wine. The wine was aged on cork for an additional six months after disgorgement before its release to allow the dosage to integrate and the wine to relax.