Libertine Wines - Acid Freak Rosé (2021)
I first made this wine in 2017 as an accident born from lack of space and laziness. I had a half barrel of Dolcetto rosato actively fermenting when my Riesling came in the door. I was pressing it off late at night and I had filled up my holding tank but there was still some juice in the press pan.
I really didn’t feel like cleaning another 300 gallon tank for 30 gallons of juice so I said, ‘Screw it. I’ve had Riesling from Piedmont before’ and pumped it into the Dolcetto barrel. The result far exceeded my expectations.
After harvest I took a vacation down in Mexico, chilled on the beach, and took a bunch of LSD. This wine is an homage to that trip and the unexpected yet welcome variants of life. It’s usually the things you never dreamed of that make the largest impact. In 2018 I started making this wine on purpose.
- About the Winemaker
- Tasting Notes
- Pairings
Years ago Alex had a successful career running a high end cheese and wine shop. However, one can only maintain two loves for so long. He had come to a crossroads. The more he pondered the question the more he found himself completely divided, confused, and even dissolute. Then one day he was riding the bus home from work and rested his weary chin upon his hand as he stared out the foggy, scratched window in contemplation of his undetermined future. At that moment he noticed a strong odor of funky cheese emanating from his person, despite having washed his hands repeatedly prior to leaving. Then it dawned on him, he was that guy on the bus that smells like cheese. So now he makes wine.
He takes a philosophical approach to wine. He sees himself as a shepherd who guides the grapes along their journey of controlled spoilage. More often than not, the wine decides its own character as he does not pigeonhole them into some preconceived notion of what he imagines they should be. Having managed vineyards for years, he has come to understand the intrinsic role of the growing season. He alters his basic winemaking techniques to adapt to each particular and unique vintage. Therefore, none of his wines taste the same. The only consistency is inconsistency, much like life itself.
He only purchases grapes from family owned farms that employ sustainable vineyard practices. He believes that we have a responsibility not to salt the earth of our wondrous corner of the world. All of his wines are fermented in neutral oak barrel with native vineyard yeast. He does not add a single thing to them other than a fractional amount of sulfite as a preservative. He also does not filter or fine, creating a very pure and raw product.
Rasberry, Cherry Punch, Chalk
Fish, Poultry, Funky Cheeses
About the Winemaker
Years ago Alex had a successful career running a high end cheese and wine shop. However, one can only maintain two loves for so long. He had come to a crossroads. The more he pondered the question the more he found himself completely divided, confused, and even dissolute. Then one day he was riding the bus home from work and rested his weary chin upon his hand as he stared out the foggy, scratched window in contemplation of his undetermined future. At that moment he noticed a strong odor of funky cheese emanating from his person, despite having washed his hands repeatedly prior to leaving. Then it dawned on him, he was that guy on the bus that smells like cheese. So now he makes wine.
He takes a philosophical approach to wine. He sees himself as a shepherd who guides the grapes along their journey of controlled spoilage. More often than not, the wine decides its own character as he does not pigeonhole them into some preconceived notion of what he imagines they should be. Having managed vineyards for years, he has come to understand the intrinsic role of the growing season. He alters his basic winemaking techniques to adapt to each particular and unique vintage. Therefore, none of his wines taste the same. The only consistency is inconsistency, much like life itself.
He only purchases grapes from family owned farms that employ sustainable vineyard practices. He believes that we have a responsibility not to salt the earth of our wondrous corner of the world. All of his wines are fermented in neutral oak barrel with native vineyard yeast. He does not add a single thing to them other than a fractional amount of sulfite as a preservative. He also does not filter or fine, creating a very pure and raw product.
Tasting Notes
Rasberry, Cherry Punch, Chalk
Pairings
Fish, Poultry, Funky Cheeses