2021 Limited Edition Mencia/Cabernet Franc Rosé

Region: Salem Hills < Willamette Valley < Oregon

Grapes: Mencia, Cabernet Franc

Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic farming; 45-year old own-rooted vines on volcanic jory soil; Mencia cold-soaked on its skins for just a few days then pressed into neutral oak barrels for fermentation to dryness, then blended with Cabernet franc rosé; zero added SO2; bottled unfined/unfiltered with 35ppm So2; 110 cases; 12.3% ABV

Winemaker: Chad & Bree Stock, MW

Lady in charge: Bree Stock has been a Master of Wine (MW) since 2016, holding one of the highest qualifications in the wine industry. She is Oregon’s first MW and the only female MW in the Pacific Northwest (and only around 400 total in the whole world)!

LTD.+ is the evolution of Chad Stock's (formerly of Minimus wines) work with unique varietals and Oregon terroir.  This small-scale project is done in 50/50 partnership with his wife Bree, a badass Master Somm, wine educator, board member of Demeter Biodynamic, and now winemaker.   This project showcases Oregon’s unique and ever-changing grape diversity, while allowing Chad and Bree to go deeper into low-intervention winemaking.  They partner with inspired farmers to source organic++ fruit, mostly alternative varieties, in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

Ltd.+ Wines are unconventional even by Oregon standards. Each wine is a non-repeating experiment with assorted varieties, fermentation, and/or maturation techniques that break formal winemaking conventions.  And Chad Stock, quietly intense, with a laser-sharp focus and insane memory for details, is somewhat of a mad scientist -- Bree, with her formal training, farming focus and hands-on experience in storied vineyards around the globe, keeps him grounded. But not too much -- as with Minimus, at Ltd.+ there are no rules and they get to play with whichever grape, method or fermentation vessel they fancy.

Like this dark pink beauty, which they call a rosé, but we think it falls somewhere on the pink to red spectrum, and actually leans more towards spicy, crunchy baby red.  A blend of Mencia (a grape originally from Spain) from the Eola Springs vineyard, entirely planted in volcanic Jory soil, with direct press rosé of Cab Franc, because they say, "the pale and juicy Cabernet franc rosé was the perfect partner for our deeply pigmented and intense Mencia rosé".  In Chad & Bree’s words, “As with all of our rosé, they are unique expressions that challenge what the category of rosé has become, and this example is no exception. Deeply pomegranate-hued, this completely dry rose has an abundance of red fruits and spices inherent to the grape varieties it has been pressed from, Mencia and Cabernet Franc. We love the juicy pomegranate and raspberry flavors that are dusted with white pepper and licorice. This wine walks the line between quaffable rosé and structured light-chilled red and we love how flexible this wine is from porch to table."

We couldn't agree more.  With bright, crunchy red fruit full of juiciness and spice, this is the perfect fall sipper, to be enjoyed on its own or with burgers, tacos, veg-forward dishes, even fish.  A super flexible food wine!

SERVE CHILLED