Nose
exudes fresh, ripe, generous aromas of jammy black cherry, red raspberry and plum fruit, complemented nicely by a whiff of toasted herbs.
Palate
Rich and supple on the palate, its deeply concentrated cherry, black raspberry and red plum flavors extend into a long, savory finish mingling juicy cherry, briary spice and refreshing mineral tones. Beautifully structured with fine, well-integrated tannins and fresh acidity
Growing Conditions
2011 was an unusual vintage in California. Wet winter and spring weather extended into mid-June, delaying budbreak, bloom and fruit set and setting the stage for a cool summer growing season that culminated in a prolonged, occasionally rainy, harvest. Our Red Hills Lake County Zinfandel grapes were less affected by the wet conditions because high-elevation vineyards drain more easily, and Red Hills is a warm, breezy region that dries out quickly. The cooler growing season actually was a blessing, as it allowed our grapes to ripen slowly and evenly, developing deeply concentrated flavors.
Winemaking
We night-harvest our Lake County Zinfandel grapes to preserve their freshness, fruit purity and varietal expressiveness, then ferment and age each of our three clonal selections separately to maximize their distinctive personalities and ensure an extra dimension of complexity in the wine. After warm fermentations in both small and large stainless steel tanks to fully extract color, flavor and tannins – with each fermentation tailored to the character of the individual lot – the wines remain on their skins for several more weeks to further enhance color and flavor while softening tannins. In 2011, after pressing the wines off the skins, we transferred them to French oak barrels, 36% new, where they aged seven months before the final blend was assembled the following spring and aged eight months in barrel prior to bottling in February, 2013.
Aging
15 months French Oak, 36% new
Food Pairing
Excellent with roasts, barbecue or spicy foods.
