Met Bruce Burch many times at Wine in the Pines, and other events, over the years. He is one of a handful of winemakers located in the High Desert whose work I respect. When he sent me his latest Rose of Pinot Noir for review I noted that the back label designated that the wine came for the “Antelope Valley of the California High Desert”, it had been “hand harvested, table sorted, then pressed whole cluster and settled. Cool fermented for 3 weeks then racked into neutral French oak barrels for 3 months prior to bottling.” So you can see why this wine is worthy of respect and I looked forward to sampling it.
Bruce suggested that I wait for “a day warm enough to be worthy of a summer sipper” which came easily, on the last weekend of October. It would probably be the last tasting of the year from my porch in Happy Valley Newhall, where the temperature was cooling down to 88 degrees that evening.
2017 Rose of Pinot
13.8% alcohol, .14% residual sugar. 60 cases produced
Tasting notes from the back label: Flavors and aromas of cherries, strawberries, and violets with a rose petal and cedar finish. Crisp and dry.
My tasting notes:
Many people know that I’m not a big Pinot fan, but I do like Rose, and love trying all kinds. The color was a lovely dark peach to salmon, what my daughter referred to as the new peach emoji. The aroma for me included sliced peaches, pears, white grape juice, kiwi, granite and cream. On the mouth I was somehow reminded of Japanese plum wine – which I never drink as is, only on ice with a squeeze of lemon – with lovely fresh red berries, white pepper, low acid, and as Bruce suggested, it proved to be an easy sipper to carry me over until dinner. If I were to pair this I’d be happy with hard cheeses, a light pasta dish with crab or salmon, followed by a deep bowl of mixed berries and fresh whipped cream. 89 Eve pts.
About Coruce Vineyards and Winery
Proprietors Coreen Savikko and Bruce Burch began growing wine grapes in the Antelope Valley in 2000 and began producing award winning homemade wines as soon as the vines became mature. Our High Desert Zinfandel, Syrah, Viognier, and Symphony varietal wines have all won medals, from bronze to gold, in local and international competitions. Turning pro in 2013, we hired winemaker Bob Balentine after sampling his (and other winemakers’) efforts.
Our Land
2012 was our first harvest at Coruce, and we produced Chardonnay, Semillon, Syrah and Zinfandel from the Antelope Valley. Eventually we will feature Antelope Valley wines nearly exclusively. Meanwhile we also feature other fine wines Bob has produced from the Central Coast including a complex Syrah, a lip smacking Zin, and a mind bogglingly big Viognier. The 2013 harvest included a Malbec, Chardonnay, Semillon, and Merlot. By the 2014 season we also brought in a local Viognier and an uncommon varietal known as “Symphony” a white California hybrid with a rich floral nose. Done off-dry it resembles the best Gewürztraminers. As a sweetie/sticky it’s an unctuously decadent desert.
Our Wines
Bob has a long history of producing his own wines (Line Shack Wines, The 411 Wine Company) as well as private labels for smaller operations and directing winemaking operations for a full scale winery like ours. As you’ll find when you try our wines, Bob has perfected the art of creating rich, fulfilling, and downright tasty wines.
Our tasting room in Lancaster, California opened its doors on January 28, 2017. Follow us, starting now; it’s going to be an exciting adventure!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corucevineyardsandwinery/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corucewinery/
Website: https://corucevineyardsandwinery.com/
Phone: (661) 494-8877
Address: 1055 West Columbia Way (Ave M) Suite #5 Lancaster, CA 93534
Tasting Room Hours:
2021: Please contact the winery for current hours.
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
