Nose
Its fruit-forward notes of raspberry and plum are accented by white pepper and vanilla spice.
Palate
Juicy flavors of raspberry, wild dark berries and white pepper with a touch of cinnamon. The finish has nice tannins that balance out the lush, berry texture.
Growing Conditions
Sonoma County is among the finest regions in the United States for Zinfandel. The core of this wine comes from four of the best AVAs for this quintessential American grape: Dry Creek (benchland, terra rosa), Alexander (gravelly alluvial), Chalk Hill and Russian River Valleys. The Syrah blended with it comes mainly from Lake County, which excels in Syrah production. 2014 was our second drought year throughout winter and spring. We had bud break in late-March and good fruit set in early May. Summer was consistently warm, but in our eyes not too extreme. The warm weather lasted until early fall making for an unseasonably early harvest and presenting a more fruit forward vintage. Due to advanced temperatures in September, the grapes were harvested slightly earlier than average from September 16th to October 8th producing a more fruit-forward, and ripe Zinfandel.
Winemaking
Harvested in small lots, the grapes were allowed to cold soak up to three days before fermentation. They were inoculated with yeast strains specifically that enhance the raspberry fruit and fermentation completion. The wine was pressed off slightly sweet to avoid excessive tannins. The individual lots were racked off the lees and re-racked into one, two and three-year-old French and American oak barrels.
Aging
Aged 9 months in new and used French, and American oak barrels.
Appearance
Our 2014 Zinfandel is deep ruby as you pour it into the glass.
Food Pairing
A joy to drink now, it pairs nicely with a grilled steak or red pasta dish.
