Frank Family has a profound passion for Pinot Noir, which we’ve grown and sourced to craft still and sparkling wines for the past two decades. Now, we continue our family’s exploration of this beloved grape with a crisp, light, and elegant wine, deservedly named, Leslie Rosé.
This new wine is a tribute to Proprietor, Leslie Frank. Inspired by her love for Provençal rosé and the “good life”, this rosé embraces Leslie’s fun-loving spirit and her philosophy to always take time for ourselves and to embrace the beauty and simple pleasures in life.
Rosé is a wine that brings joy to people. It has an undeniable power to transcend you to summertime, to time with friends, to your favorite holiday destination. “For me, as I sip this wine, I’m reminded of some of my favorite travels,” said Leslie. “Its lovely rose gold shade captures the essence of summer sunsets in Napa Valley and conjures memories of sun-kissed terraces in Bandol, France.”
From its beautiful hue to its refreshing acidity and lavish layers of strawberry, white peach, and orange blossom, it offers a brilliant expression of Carneros rosé that is the perfect package of pure quenchability. It’s a wine that is both serious yet whimsical – and that’s its charm.
Years in the Making
Behind the scenes, Frank Family’s Cellar Master, Armando Padilla has been experimenting with still rosé production for many years, even bottling several cases exclusively for employee and family enjoyment. When Leslie first tasted and fell in love with Armando’s rosé, she wanted to take it up a notch and bring Winemaker Todd Graff into the mix to create something special just for Frank Family members and friends. With her gentle nudge, Frank Family started to intentionally cultivate and vinify Pinot Noir for the purpose of making rosé from the start.
“Pinot Noir is one of my favorite grapes to work with. It’s not exactly easy to grow and it can be challenging to make, which is part of its appeal for me as a winemaker. The grape grows so beautifully in Napa’s Carneros region which is why it comes as no surprise that Carneros Pinot Noir is capable of also producing gorgeous rosés, demonstrated by our newest bottling.” – Todd Graff, Winemaker
Vineyard Sourcing & Winemaking
The Leslie Rosé is sourced exclusively from parcels of the best vineyards in Napa’s acclaimed Carneros region, including our family-owned Lewis Vineyard located along the shores of the San Pablo Bay. The cooling influences of the Bay as well as the nearby Pacific Ocean allow for delicate maturation of the grapes and retention of bright flavors. This wine was crafted with Pinot Noir grapes that were grown specifically to showcase the attributes we desire most in rosé – fresh aromatics, vibrant flavors, and natural acidity.
Picked in the chill of the night, the grapes were brought to the winery and immediately pressed while the fruit was still cool to maintain its fruit-forward profile and to achieve its perfect light hue. Fermentation took place entirely in stainless steel tanks, preserving its fresh acidity and delicate aromas before bottling just 250 cases in March 2021.
Pairings
Just like how sparkling wine isn’t just for celebrations, we feel rosé isn’t just for summertime. While ideal for warm weather, the Leslie Rosé is perfect for year-round enjoyment, if you’re patient enough to wait to uncork it. This wine’s high-toned acidity is the hallmark of all good food pairing wines. Its versatility lends itself to a wide range of foods such as hard cheeses, cured meats like chorizo and prosciutto, pastas in tomato, pesto, or herb-based sauces, shellfish, and light meats. But the best pairing of all is sunshine with a group of close friends.
We are excited to share the 2020 vintage, our debut release, with you. Due to the limited nature of this wine, we are limiting allocations to three bottles per person at this time. Click here to secure your allocation.
