Growing Conditions
In keeping with Zenaida minimalist style, our micro produced, Estate grown Zinfandel, is made from our estate vineyard located in the
Templeton Gap District. We utilize sustainable agriculture practices to produce wines that are predominantly fruit forward and express our
unique west side terroir. In mid-summer the vines are “green thinned”. Green clusters are cut from the vine, leaving one cluster per
shoot to promote even ripening and also to concentrate flavors in remaining cluster.
Winemaking
At harvest, the fruit is hand sorted and de-stemmed directly into open top fermenters. After a 48 hour cold soak the fruit macerates slowly and evenly with twice daily manual punch downs and specifically timed de le stage over approximately 30 days. The wine is then aged for 15 months in select French oak barrels. Our Zinfandel is pushed to just this side of too far to reach its full potential. By avoiding the dried-out flavors of over-ripeness, we concentrate on the fresher fruit aspects that Zinfandel has to offer. The result is a wine deeply layered with dark fruits and wild berries.
