A long overdue post from St. Patrick’s Day!

As I was immersed smack in the middle of finals week and a total of 50+ pages of various papers to write, I wasn’t able to put aside the time to review this awesome little rose on time. (Grad school must be put on alert to stay out of the way of my wine time.)

I digress, as a matter of principle I really wanted to enjoy wine from an Irish wine maker on St. Patrick’s day. While I couldn’t force myself to dye this green, thoughts of Irish country side were firmly planted in my mind.

St. Patrick’s Day in Athens, Ohio was very mild this year, and we decided to grill turkey burgers stuffed with feta on a wheat bun with spinach and barbecue sauce to compliment the rose. As Kathleen Kelley told me, the idea for this rose was formulated around a dinner table, so I thought it only fitting to enjoy the fruits of her labor if you will, around my dinner table.

I always love surprises, actually, I hate surprises I’m too much of a control freak, but I love surprises in my wine. On the nose the Kathleen rose was yeasty, almost a pastry scent with a hint of strawberry, very interesting.  The flavor profile of wine developed throughout the glass, upon first taste the wine was strong in strawberry and cream flavors with some acidity mid palate with pear and oak on the finish. About 30 minutes later we discovered a nose of apple and red raspberry along with strawberry and a hint of raspberry on the palate.

The rose is lower in alcohol content than most, 13.2% because it is picked earlier in the season that most crafted in the saignee style. 210 case production.