'08 Zinfandel Estate

Upon uncorking blackberry jam, cedar smoked meat and hints of allspice express themselves. As it breathes, a cornucopia of berries, cocoa and crème brule start to emerge, turning jammy and finishing with Cedar and spicy accents. The wine starts with raspberry and blueberry notes then flavors of berry jam, vanilla and smoky oak combine with spices and soft tannins to form a long mid-palate, ending in a clean finish. The balanced tannin and acidity with moderate alcohol will allow this wine to improve with several years of additional cellaring.

Head pruned into a wagon wheel configuration, planted on its own roots from a selection of 100 year old vines from Mendocino County termed the “Century” clone, our Zinfandel vines are planted in the same shallow limestone infused soils that create the special terrior that our Estate wines are known for. A shy bearing block, that only manages to bear less than 2 tons per acre allows for deeply concentrated wines. The wine is made in small 1 ton fermenters, punched down by hand with the only cooling coming from the night air. 2008 proved to be a warm dry vintage with late summer heat allowing for full ripeness and lush textures while retaining superb acidity and moderate alcohol. For the last 30 years my yeast of choice for Zinfandel has always been Assmanshausen as it is a slow starter allowing for some ‘la savage’ to occur during the pre-fermentation maceration and start of fermentation. This lag phase allows for a cooler and extended fermentation with fruitier aromas developing and stable, softer, rounder, succulent tannins formed.

Cases Produced: 317