Two decades ago, Lacey Steffey was a first-grade teacher in California’s San Joaquin Valley. Today, the University of California-Davis grad’s responsibilities for Chateau Ste. Michelle include producing one of the Northwest’s top examples of rosé. And she accomplished it beautifully not with a fashionable variety such as Grenache, Counoise or Pinot Noir but a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (79%) and Syrah — two grapes Washington grows exceptionally well for red table wine. Here they are presented in a Provençal-style rosé with a light salmon color, delicate aromatics and brightness, opening with a fresh and fruity nose of watermelon, peach and lavender lemonade. On the palate, there are stone fruits – nectarine and apricot – with a slice of guava and bite of ripe and juicy strawberry. At 0.38% residual sugar, it sits on the cusp of perceptible sweetness. Voted as the best rosé at the 2021 Cascadia International Wine Competition, it’s a perfect accompaniment to fish tacos, an open-face crab melt or your last Zoom meeting of the day.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 6,500 cases
Alcohol: 13%
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