Palate
Carignane is a unique and understated southern Rhone varietal, originally used in blending, rarely seen as a single varietal. This wine is made from vines planted in 1945. Monstrous vines with low yielding fruit make for a wine as unique as the vines themselves. This wine, garnet color is swirled in the glass reveals a nose of earth and caramel candy. It opens with robust raspberry punches to the palate, which glides into a round butterscotch kiss and a finish of light tannic tea.
Growing Conditions
In the Templeton Gap AVA this historic vineyard was planted in 1945. Dante Dusi Vineyard is head trained and dry farmed by five generations of the Dusi Family.
Winemaking
Janell Dusi is the proprietor and winemaker, specializing in Zinfandel. She is a 4th generation farmer who is the first of the family to go beyond farming to produce wines from the Dusi Vineyards. She honors her heritage by winemaking in the most native form; handpicking, hand sorting and stomping her wines by foot. Her signature style is continued with non-invasive wine handling and gentle barrel aging. A combination of new French and American oak, juvenile barrels are rounded out with neutral barrels to create wines that respect and reveal the natural varietal characteristics of Zinfandel.
