Balletto, 2020 Russian River Valley, Sonoma County Rosé of Pinot Noir

The 2020 vintage will go on record as one of the most catastrophic, with wildfires and blankets of smoke hanging over vineyards, on top of the constraints of working during the pandemic.

There were, of course, some uplifting moments. For Anthony Beckman of Balletto Vineyards, it was when his 2020 rosé was bottled.

“It was the day before my first COVID vaccination in early spring, and I felt like the world was returning to something more manageable,” Beckman said. “The wine was bright and fresh, the skies were clear of smoke and I walked out of the clinic feeling strong and ready to start on a clean slate. This rosé will always remind me of that feeling on that day.”

Beckman is behind our wine of the week — the Balletto, 2020 Russian River Valley, Sonoma County Rosé of Pinot Noir, 13.4%, $20. This rosé is refreshingly tart with notes of watermelon, lime zest and mineral. Balanced, with bright acidity, it finishes crisp. It’s so very pretty and an extraordinary value for the caliber of this rosé.

Other tasty rosés include: Acumen, 2020 Napa Valley Mountainside Rosé, 14.1%, $30; Argyle, 2020 Willamette Valley Rosé of Pinot Noir, 12.5%, $30; Bouchaine, 2020 Napa Carneros Vin Gris of Pinot Noir, 13.5%, $29; and J. Bucher, 2020 Bucher Vineyard, Rosé of Pinot Noir, 12.3%, $30.

As for the winning Balletto rosé, it has an interesting backstory. When Beckman first wanted to craft a rosé for the winery, he thought he’d need to make a case for it. He compiled a list of the best rosés produced in the world to present to his employers, vintners John and Terry Balletto.

Beckman said the Ballettos didn’t need any convincing and their positive response illustrates the blank check they’ve given him to make the best wines possible.

“After making rosé at Balletto for the last 15 years, I think the style is simply the Balletto style: fresh, bright, lower alcohol, yet still with a little weight and presence to push it into its own category,” Beckman said.

Well-crafted rosés today are no poolside sippers, the winemaker said. Those made with intention deserve to be at the dinner table because they’re so tasty and versatile with foods.

“Rosé is more difficult to make than many people know, especially rosé of pinot noir,” Beckman said. “Because if its delicacy, rosé of pinot shows every misstep in farming, pick decision or fermentation. I make sure to smell all the rosé fermentations at least twice a day to make sure it hasn’t taken a wrong turn somewhere. … The goal is to keep all the pretty floral aromas yet capture just enough of the savory side of rosé fermentation to add a little depth and interest to the wine. It’s a tricky balance.”

Reflecting on the tumult of last year, Beckman said he’s full of pride.

“I’m incredibly happy with the wines Balletto made in 2020,” he said. “But the thing I’m most proud about is the family of people who came together to make these wines through the worst of the pandemic, through wildfires, smoke and weeks of evacuations and worry.”

Wine writer Peg Melnik can be reached at peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5310.