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Old School Rose, AOP Minervois 2011
Sourced from one of our very own seriously Old School vineyard planted in 1959 in AOC Minervois, this Rose de Presse (meaning made the proper way) is 100% Cinsault. It is certified Ecocert Organic NOP, certified Demeter and certified Biodyvin for good measure. It’s salmon in color but dry, crisp and refreshing. Only 488 cases were made in 2011.
KARABI IS A MIGHTY HORSE, A PERCHERON FROM THE NORTH OF FRANCE AND HE HELPED US MAKE THIS WINE. FOLLOW THIS FACEBOOK LINK:
https://www.facebook.com/oldschoolwine
TO FIND OUT HOW AND BECOME HIS FRIEND.
OLD SCHOOL ROSE IS A CERTIFIED BIODYNAMIC WINE MADE IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT ENCOURAGES BIO-DIVERSITY AND SUSTAINABILITY. THE WINE IS MADE USING ONLY NATURAL YEASTS FROM OUR VINEYARD, BOTTLED IN LIGHT RECYCLED GLASS AND LABELED USING RECYCLED PAPER. THIS IS ALL SUN, EARTH AND THE TOILS OF MAN AND KARABI. JUST OLD SCHOOL.
Although Karabi has its own Facebook page where you can keep up with him, we’ve asked the daughter of its owner to give us a quick description of his favorite food, character and hobbies and this is the unedited version of what she shared with us:
"Karabi is twelve years old , very gentle , he will always watch out for the small people but if the person is tall enough he won't particularly "watch out". He can get fat very quickly!! he loves to eat and neighs each time you bring him food a gentle, "thanks I'm hungry" call. He cannot stand not being with another horse or donkey or whomever will stay with him ,at the moment He lives with a little old Merens horse called Sultan, very tough and gentle, half his size and half his weight. Sultan is black and Karabi is grey. Karabi really doesn't mind being with other horses as long as they do not attack him ! He likes to play the big guy but is a real softy. He has this habit of letting his lower lip dangle when he is a bit sleepy or when he cannot really not be bothered !
Anyone could ride him from a baby to old people ! If the fence is quiet small and has no intense electricity he will just run into it and break it and then hang around the house ! He needs lots of exercise to be ready to work. he pulls a plough between the vines. He weighs 1 ton and can pull 3 tons, he is 5.7 ft. at the withers. He eats oats and bran mix for breakfast and hay for dinner. He is a happy loveable horse who takes time for everyone even if from time to time he can get cocky, especially if it means more good food."
A few months ago, I was visiting a Manhattan retailer who carries Chateau Maris and I saw a floor person presenting one of our wines and, bottle in hand, she was explaining that “…these guys are really doing it “Old School”, they even plow with horses”. I thought it was brilliant since you generally have about 10 seconds to recommend a wine before moving on to the next one. “Old School” says it all. It’s a vision of the future with roots in the past, using tradition to craft an innovative wine. Utilizing Organic and Biodynamic methods in the vineyards and the most up-to-date technology in the cellar.
So, we first had the idea of using a stunning picture of Karabi plowing Les Amandiers vineyard in Spring but once taped to a bottle of red, the label somehow did not quite work. We then decided that some sort of etching would be catchier before coming up with this ubber cool bent paperclips 3D silhouette of Karibi with no less than 10 colors (Michael, you're absolutely brilliant).
We like our Rosé to be crisp, fresh and lively. It’s a wine that should make you want to skip and hop in a warm summer evening. We made it for ourselves but we really hope you like it!
The pick: “There aren’t many rosés that are coming from certified biodynamic vineyards, so we’re very, very excited about the 2011 Château Maris Minervois Old School rosé. This is the first vintage in the U.S. It comes from Minervois in France’s Languedoc region, and you get this nice minerality and a touch of muscle weight that balances the strawberry and orange zest notes. Its weight and smacking acidity are perfect for picnic fare, like cured meats or barbecued ribs.”