The Secret to LaRue’s Brut Rosé: Tiraging
The symphony of tirage marks an exciting milestone for the creation of the 2014 Legacy LaRue’s Brut Rosé. As one of the most technical aspects in the winemaking process, sparkling wine has been a longtime dream of Associate Winemaker, Kate Payne Brown.
After aging 10-months in neutral French oak, the base wine – 25% Chardonnay, 75% Pinot Noir – undergoes tirage. Tirage is the process of adding a solution of active yeast cultures and sugar to the original base wine to kick-start the second round of fermentation. The added solution releases carbon dioxide, responsible for the effervescence that puts the “sparkle” in our beloved sparkling wine. At full maturity, the bottles are riddled to displace the spent yeast, during which the sediment is driven to the neck of the bottle to be disgorged.
The 2014 Legacy LaRue’s Brut Rosé spent two years on the lees before being corked and capped into 275 stunning cases.