TN: 2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Mourvedre Ode to Lulu Rosé

WINE TALK
1

Got the delivery today and couldn’t help but pop one of these beauties. I thought the 2009 was good, but nothing special. This 2010 is the real deal.

  • 2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Mourvedre Ode to Lulu Rosé - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (4/7/2011)
    Pop & pour - consumed over 3 hours. Very light salmon color - much lighter than most rosés. Initially, a bit sharp and unbalanced - needed about 30 minutes to open up and even out. But did it ever! Nose was subdued but displayed some nice wet gravel and citrus. On the palate, fairly light bodied but showed beautiful minerality with some depth and great balance. Very interesting and enjoyable wet stone flavors with light citrus nuance. Very Bandol-like. I find this to be much better than the 2009 version. Loved it! (93 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

2

I’m becoming a big fan of Rose and this one is at the top of my list!

3

i enjoyed the 09 so certainly looking forward to 2010

4

Four bottles just shipped in. Have to give it a try this weekend.

5

No bottle shock on this one, eh? Got my shipment yesterday and was fairly shocked how much lighter in color this is vs. the prior vintage. Any idea why that might be?

6

I’m not a fan of Rose, so I’m looking forward to receiving my Bedrock.

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I was never much of a fan of rose, but the '09 Ode really felt special. This one sounds even better so I might have to try to get more than what I have.
As Nate commented, the color is grayish which is weird.

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I’m afraid that if you love the 2009, you might not like the 2010 so much.

9

Popped one yesterday.No formal notes taken, but was very impressed by it. So light and restrained. Perfect rose for the summer.

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Nate, hopefully Morgan will comment on the color, but the release email shows a few major differences between the '09 and '10, destemmed vs whole cluster pressed, and full malo on lees vs only partial MLF.

(extract) 2009 “Ode to Lulu” Rosé: …The 120 year old vine Mourvedre was picked at 22.5 brix in the last week of September. It was destemmed and immediately put in the press, where it was squeezed off to tank. Fermented cold with native yeasts, the wine stayed on its lees through ML (and yes, this is common practice in Bandol, and it means that I do not have to sterile filter it before bottling). …

2010 Ode To Lulu Rosé: This is certainly the most elegant and high-tone version of this wine made so far. Mourvedre-fruit from blocks planted in 1888, was picked at 21.9 brix (under 13% potential alcohol) and whole-cluster pressed to a stainless steel tank. There, it fermented at cold temperatures using native yeasts. Unlike past years where I allowed the wine to undergo ML to increase richness, this year I only allowed a partial MLF to take place—the result being a slightly higher-tones rosé that I believe is a bit more vibrant and food friendly.

Thought I would post a quick photo for others to check out. Really looking forward to trying the '10 in a few weeks. Enjoyed the '09 so much I went out and reloaded on the secondary market.

Cheers, [cheers.gif]

Steve

11

Steve, It’ll be warm this weekend and I for one will pop the 2010. I might also backfill on the 2009 to compare the two.

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Hey Guys- Yes, the wine is a lot lighter in a color and I could not be happier about it. Here is a more extensive note that I wrote for the wine:

2010 Ode to Lulu Rose’ of Mourvedre: As always this is a “true” rose (not saignee) of 120 year old vine Mourvedre from my Bedrock Vineyard. After a visit this Spring to Domaine Tempier and some additional conversations with the winemaker there I have revamped the way I make the rose a bit. For me, the last two vintages were perhaps a trace lunky—Mourvedre is a stentorian grape by nature and the rose’ from 2008 and 2009, though filled with flavor and density, tended to genuflect awkwardly on the palate rather than hop with grace. To me, they more resembled the old-school Bandol efforts of Chateau Pradeaux rather than the zestier, slightly more modern, style of rose’ that I love from Tempier and Gros Noree. In 2010 I picked the grapes at a super-low 20.9 brix, and instead of destemming the grapes prior to putting them in the press, I did the entire lot as whole-cluster. This meant less breaking down of the skins and less protracted skin-contact, thereby lowering both the color and tannin uptake. The wine was pressed to a stainless tank where it was fermented cold using indigenous yeasts to dryness. Unlike previous years where full malolactic conversion was allowed to take place I only allowed limited MLF so as to preserve a bit more of the raciness imparted by the malic acid. I am more pleased with this years version than the last couple. I would also suggest that the wine will gain a little more color with age (this has happened in the past) as some of the free SO2 gets bound.

13

My shipment is on weather hold, so y’all are torturing me with these stories with the greatness of wine that I own but cannot yet have. [cry.gif]
On the bright side, this just means I’ll have some left when all yours is gone. neener

14
  • 2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Mourvedre Ode to Lulu Rosé - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (5/4/2011)
    Tasted over two days. Again, this blew me away with its beautiful flavors and elegant charm. This really didn’t show much until it warmed close to room temp from refrigerator temp. When it did, the nose showed nice citrus and mineral aromas. The palate showed a hint of watermelon, white peach, and some rose petal, but make no mistake, this is a mineral-driven rosé. Perfect balance with a long, wonderful finish. The memories of this wine are still haunting me long after the last drops were sipped. (93 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

15

Morgan is 100% spot on with this. I was in the basement the other night to do a quick inventory. and pulled out my last remaining bottle of the 2010. It is now a nice light cherry color where before it was a very pale salmon/orangey color. Those who have some left might know what I’m talking about. [cheers.gif]