Review: 11 Minutes Rosé, Pasqua

11 minutes, that’s how long the juice for this wine remained in contact with the skins after pressing. The winemaker at Pasqua believes that’s the perfect amount of time for the wine to gain its rosé hue from the grape skins.

After those 11 minutes, the must is cooled and transferred to a stainless steel tank for 11 hours, allowing solids in the must to settle to the bottom. The must is then inoculated with yeast, which starts the fermentation of the wine. After fermentation, the wine stays on the lees for 3-4 months, which adds complexity and flavor to the wine.

The result of all that is a spectacular rosé. I first tried the 2018 vintage of 11 Minutes last year and it quickly caught my attention as a stand-out rosé. The 2019 vintage reaffirms that assessment.

It’s also a somewhat unique rosé in terms of the grape varieties used. An Italian red grape called Corvina is the dominant grape in the blend. It’s a variety almost exclusively grown in the Veneto region of Italy, where Pasqua is located, and adds both acidity and floral aromas to the wine. Another Italian grape, this one a white grape called Trebbiano, is also part of the blend, which is rounded out by Syrah and Carménère. I don’t think I’ve ever had another wine made from this blend of grapes.

Floral, peach, mandarin and wet stone aromas give this wine a very pleasant nose. It’s very approachable on the palate with a nice vibrancy and flavors like white peach, mango, lemon and cranberry. The mouthfeel is nice and the finish is fairly long with lingering citrus flavors.

Wine: Pasqua, 11 Minutes Rosé
Varieties: 50% Corvina, 25% Trebbiano, 15% Syrah, 10% Carménère
Vintage: 2019
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 90
Average price: $20.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.