I am a rosé snob. I’m just going to call it. I hate most American rosés. I like a crisp, dry, refreshing Provençal style rosé. Until we got into the wine business, I never knew why I didn’t like American rosés…
Because rosés are typically the least expensive wine that a winery sells, there is often not much thought or effort put into the wine. The finest grapes are not usually chosen for the rosés, they are designated to go into a higher-priced wine.
When we were planning Folded Hills, I was absolutely insistent that we make an intentional rosé. What is an intentional rosé? An intentional rosé describes a wine that uses grapes specifically grown and harvested for rosé. We took it a step further. We planted for rosé. We chose the slope that would allow the Grenache grapes to ripen at just the right pace so we could pick early for low brix (sugar content). At the winery, we gently press the grapes with little intervention so that the slope would express all the nuances of terroir in your glass.
The result is a lightly colored, delicately fragranced, well-balanced, crisp, and refreshing wine. We were told we were crazy to put this much time, money, and effort into a rosé, and we didn’t care. Making the best rosé that we could was our very first goal at Folded Hills. Apparently it worked, because Wine & Spirits named our first vintage, the 2016 Lilly Rosé, their “Year’s Best Rosé”.
As you may know, many of our wines are named for family members. Our Lilly Rosé is a tribute to six generations of Lillys in the Busch family. Lilly Anheuser was born in 1844 and married Adolphus Busch in a double ceremony with her sister, Anna Anheuser, and Adolphus’ brother, Ulrich. The couple had 13 children and created a little company you may have heard of, Anheuser Busch.
Since then, the name Lilly has peppered our family tree. Our daughter, Lacey, and our granddaughter, who just turned eight, are both graced with the name Lilly. We love these photos of our youngest Lilly, taken the day of our first bottling of Lilly Rosé.
Our latest vintage, 2023 Lilly, boasts aromas of strawberries, white nectarine, citrus zest, rose petal, and red cherry, followed by an incredible combination of nectarine, watermelon, and a hint of grapefruit. Coupled with a touch of saline-driven minerality and vibrant acidity, this wine is an easy pairing wine and an instant favorite.
Fun fact about Lilly Rosé – when someone comes into our tasting rooms and tells us they have a relative named Lilly Rose, we always give them a bottle of Lilly to share with their namesake. This has only happened three times…let’s see if we get a parade of Lilly Roses into the tasting rooms! Don’t be surprised if we ask for proof! 😉
Click on the image below for a printable copy of a delicious pairing recipe for Lilly Rosé.
Cheers!
