The Dry Creek Valley is famous for its ancient Zinfandel vineyards, many of which were planted over a century ago. The gently sloping hills, terra rossa soil, and cool evenings coupled with blistering afternoons create a unique environment well suited for Zinfandel. The core of this wine was produced from 2 vineyards that averaged 70 years in age. One vineyard dates back to field plantings in 1886, and the other was planted in the early 1960s. In 2006, the Dry Creek Zinfandel was produced in a classic field blend style, sourcing the grapes from inter-planted vineyards with Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Mouvedre. These varieties add complexity, structure and finesse to the overall blend, while not overshadowing the briary fruit and peppery spice of classic Zinfandel.
The Vintage Old vine Zinfandel vineyards are not usually irrigated, forming deep, strong root systems that can withstand almost all weather conditions. In cooler, extended growing seasons, such as 2006, the old vineyards out-perform their younger counterparts, producing grapes with unmatched intensity and concentration. The 2006 growing season started very warm, with extreme heat spikes in July and August; however, September and October were very cool, and the fog hung on in the mornings, sometimes for hours, slowing down the ripening process. Late into fall, the grapes showed the concentrated flavors we look for. The vines were all harvested by hand into small picking bins which were delivered to the winery for processing.
Winemaking
The grapes were de-stemmed, but half of the berries were not crushed, producing softer tannins and more berry aromas. Both Zinfandel lots were cold soaked for 3 to 4 days, a classic technique to extract color and flavor without acquiring aggressive tannins. The wine was pressed off the skins and allowed to settle in the tank for 3 weeks to finish fermentation. Then, we racked it into 30% new Russian and Hungarian Barrels, with the balance being 1 year old French Oak barrels. We find that the European Oak compliments the lush, berry fruit of Zinfandel. In springtime, we blended in small amounts of Petite Sirah and Barbera to round out the palate and add complexity. The wine was then allowed to reside in the same barrels into September. Then, after a total of 10 months of barrel aging it was racked , filtered and bottled.
Winemaker's Notes: This Zinfandel has aromas of espresso, dark roasted coffee, earth, chocolate and nuances of ripe berries and raspberry jam. The color is a dark deep red that shows the concentration of the old vines fruit when harvested at perfection. The wine is very soft and smooth with layers of coffee roast, espresso and ripe berries that flow through the mouth. It is very concentrated but does not present itself as tannic or unbalanced in any fashion. It should age well for 3-5 years at proper storage temperatures.
Mark R. Lyon, Winemaker
Technical
Data
Appellation:
Dry Creek Valley
Composition:
86% Zinfandel, 11% Petite Sirah, 3% Barbera
Cooperage:
10 months in new Hungarian (15%) and Russian (30%)oak, with 55% in 1 and 2 year old French barrels.
Alcohol:
14.4%
TA:
0.53 g/100ml
pH:
3.68
Bottling Date:
August 2007
Release Date:
June2008
Past Vintages:
Awards and Acclaim:
2006 Vintage
91 Points and Two Puffs from Connessieurs Guide to California Wine:"Vibrant, ripe-berry fruit sits at the heart of this young, but keenly defined, Zin and stays the course from first sniff on through the wine's lingering finish. A nice measure of complementary oak adds a bit of richness and range, and, while eminently enjoyable now and requiring no age, this is a wine that should keep well in the cellar and could improve for a few years. It is a bargain at the price." GOOD VALUE
2004 Vintage
88 Points and One Puff from Connessieurs Guide to California Wine: "Keenly defined and solidly filled with no undue reliance on excessive ripeness, this nicely balanced, medium-full-bodied Zinfandel is plush on the palate and shows plenty of blackberry fruit. It tends ever so slightly to finishing dryness but is free of the heat that mars so many of its mates, and it succeeds as an eminently food-worthy wine with some potential for age."
