Zinfandel aficionados agree that the Russian River appellation in Sonoma County is the most ideally suited region, for growing this varietal, in North America. Coastal air vents throughout the Russian River basin in the evening, lowering a veil of fog which dissipates in the late mornings, providing the cooler nighttime temperatures needed to produce the finest Zinfandel. Warm afternoons allow for slow steady ripening of fruit, creating an intensity balanced with acidity for overall structure and aging potential.

WINEMAKER’S NOTES

The Zinfandel is planted in rocky soil on steep sloping terraces, ideally suited for this varietal. The vineyard is 12-years old planted with Old Century clone grafted from 100 year old vines. We use many of the same techniques with our Zinfandel as with our Pinot Noir. We cold-soak the grapes for three days and once the fermentation begins we hand punch the grapes in open-top fermenters, a method not commonly used with Zinfandel. The wine was then aged for 14 months in Francois Frères oak barrels. We always keep the grapes separate throughout the process so we can make blending decisions after the grapes have evolved independently. Because we make our Zinfandel using the same techniques as our Pinot Noir, our Zin really appeals to the Pinot lover.

TASTING NOTES