2023 La Sirena Rosato Amador County 750 ml

Heidi Barrett is the “First Lady of Wine.” The “Wine Diva of Napa Valley.” The genius behind legendary wines from Dalla Valle and Grace Family, not to mention the 1992 Screaming Eagle that sold at auction for half a mil. 

She’s also one of several Napa winemaking icons—including Andy Erickson, Helen Keplinger, and Mayaan Koschitzky—who have set their sights on Amador County’s rugged, geologically diverse foothills. And from the region’s lively, red-fruited Primitivo, she crafted a bright, well-balanced Rosato for her personal La Sirena label. 

Primitivo shares genetics with Zinfandel, as both are clones of an incredibly scarce Croatian grape. But while California Zinfandel/Primitivo can take on big, plush, fruit-forward boldness, certain terroir and winemaking can evoke the variety’s more restrained side. And in this 2023 Rosato, the grape’s vibrant acidity and floral aromas are on full display, showing why the versatile variety has thrived for over a century in Amador County.

Here, labyrinthine dirt roads through the Sierra Nevada’s foothills hide some of California’s oldest vineyards, planted by 49ers during the Gold Rush. In the years since, winegrowers have realized the region’s array of soils, elevations, and exposures make it ideal for everything from Rhône varieties like Syrah to Mediterranean ones like Sangiovese. Today, the region is a magnet for winemakers in search of top-quality fruit at unmatched bargains.

Barrett founded La Sirena in 1994, and began sourcing from Amador after responding to a postcard from a grower. A licensed helicopter pilot, she flew her chopper to his farm, liked what she saw, and has been making her Rosato ever since. The 2023 is a vivacious expression of the region’s mountain terroir, from an incomparable winemaker.