Something to Wine About: Macari 2020 Horses Rosé

Most people tend to think of rosé as a spring wine. In fact, the entire month of May is dedicated to rosé. However, Macari produces a rosé that truly captures the essence of early fall, the 2020 Horses Rosé. This drink isn’t the pale, salmon pink, delicately flavored wine often associated with rosé. This wine is quite the opposite.

Everything about this wine is bold, from its dark pink color to its bright, exuberant flavor. The palate is lively; notes of just-picked berries burst on the tongue. Think of picking and eating berries fresh from the vine on an autumn hike. The wine finishes with lighter notes of pepper commonly found in cabernet franc. And it’s a sparkling wine!

Horses Rosé is a pétillant naturel, or what is also known as a Pét-Nat. In this ancient wine producing method, the wine is bottled before primary fermentation is finished, without the addition of secondary yeasts or sugars. In the traditional méthode champenoise, the style in which Champagne is produced, the wine is fully fermented, then undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle.

Macari’s head winemaker, Byron Elmendorf, says on the production of Horses Rosé, “The grapes are 100% de-stemmed and left on the skins for 24 hours. Then they are gently pressed and fermented cold and slowly throughout harvest. Finally, they are racked and bottled in early November to finish fermentation in the bottle.”

Horses Rosé is made from cabernet franc, a grape that is widely grown on Long Island. Many call it Long Island’s signature grape. Cabernet franc can be rustic, earthy, herbaceous and vegetal. Notes can include green pepper and basil. It’s an edgy grape often added to wines in the Bordeaux region to give wines complexity. In Horses Rosé, it is the well-received star player. Horses Rosé retails for $28 and should be served chilled.

For more information, visit macariwines.com.