Frog's Leap Winery
La Grenouille Rouganté 2025
Mendocino County
La Grenouille Rouganté — not-quite-French for “The Blushing Frog” — is one of California’s most distinctive and serious rosés, built not around fashion but around a singular grape and a serendipitous vineyard discovery. In 2015, Rory Williams was driving through the remote Redwood Valley of Mendocino County when he spotted the stately old-vine Carignane at the Ricetti Ranch, farmed with obvious devotion by Tom and Pam Ricetti. The vines, planted in 1942, were immediately recognizable as something special — and the resulting rosé has embodied that character ever since. Far from a poolside sipper, La Grenouille Rougante commands serious dining attention. The age of the vines and the arid, rocky conditions of Redwood Valley produce a rosé of uncommon depth and mineral backbone alongside its vivid red fruit and bright natural acidity.
VINEYARD
Located in the remote Redwood Valley of Mendocino County, the Ricetti Vineyard plays host to arid, rocky soils across 10 acres of organically farmed land. The age of the vines (planted in 1942), combined with the dry, well-drained terrain of Redwood Valley, produces grapes of exceptional concentration and natural acidity that lend structure and complexity rarely found in rosé.
WINEMAKING
Grapes are picked exclusively for rosé and pressed directly from their skins in a classic direct-press method. To preserve color delicacy and avoid over-extraction, the press cycle is stopped just over halfway through, resulting in a faint but striking pink hue. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel at low temperature to preserve the wine's aromatic freshness, natural acidity and fruit purity.
VINTAGE
An exceptionally cool growing season across both Napa and Redwood Valley, with a notable absence of extreme heat events from start to finish. The season-long moderate temperatures worked to preserve natural freshness and build strong acidity in the fruit, resulting in some of the highest acid levels seen in recent memory at Frog's Leap. Long hang time allowed flavor and character to develop gradually across the ranch, with the estate's older blocks performing particularly well. This is a vintage that rewards those who value precision and freshness over power.
TASTING NOTE
Pale salmon in the glass with lively aromas of redcurrant, wild strawberry, rose petal and dried herbs. Bone dry on the palate with bright acidity, subtle mineral grip and a clean, refreshing finish. Low alcohol enhances its precision and elegance.
FOOD PAIRING
Fresh salmon and seafood, sushi and sashimi, Provencal herb dishes, light charcuterie, grilled vegetables, goat cheese, roast poultry.
Color
Rose
Blend %
100% Carricante
Appellation
Mendocino County
Alcohol
12%
Suggested Retail Price
$27
Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
Concrete Aged Sauvignon Blanc
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Sauvignon Blanc has long been central to the Frog’s Leap story and serves as a reference point for restrained Napa Valley whites. Rather than chasing overt tropical ripeness or sweetness, the estate focuses on dryness, mineral structure and aromatic precision. The Concrete Aged Sauvignon Blanc intensifies this focus, employing careful vineyard selection, old vines, fermentation in concrete egg and extended aging sur lie to drive a intense, mineral-driven expression of Sauvignon Blanc fully expressive of its Rutherford origins.
Shale & Stone Chardonnay
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‘Shale and Stone’ on the label is reflective of the deep minerality of the vineyard’s ancient fractured shale soils and the freshness of the varietal. With long sur lie aging in concrete, it is taut but generous, and full yet bright on the palate.
Sauvignon Blanc
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Stone fruit and white flower aromatics are perfectly complemented with crisp, minerally flavors. Fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks to preserve the purity and distinctiveness of this noble grape.
Merlot
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Grown in cool clay and crafted with care- this Merlot is a refined, age-worthy wine of both subtlety and strength. Showing deep plum and cocoa notes with soft tannins and a savory finish, aged in a mix of small French oak barrels to enhance texture without overpowering the wine’s natural elegance.
Cabernet Sauvignon
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Zinfandel
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Made in the classic field blend style including significant portions of Petite Sirah and Carignane. Vibrant raspberry and black cherry fruit with hints of spice and earth, balanced by bright acidity and moderate tannins—crafted from dry-farmed, organically grown vines and aged in neutral oak to preserve its varietal purity and freshness.
Flycatcher
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Flycatcher is a vibrant, juicy field blend bursting with red berry fruit, spice, and floral notes, crafted from organically grown Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignan, and Valdiguié, co-fermented and aged in neutral oak for a fresh, energetic expression of California terroir.
