2006 Central Coast Zinfandel
Vineyards
This wine hails from a series of vineyards which line the western foothills of the Santa Clara Valley of California's Central Coast region. These districts enjoy a maritime climate enhanced by ocean cooling from the fog which rolls over the Santa Cruz Mountains from the nearby Pacific Ocean. During the ripening season, hours of warm sunshine bake the mostly dry-farmed soils of these vineyards and allow for full physiological grape maturity and, most importantly, incredible varietal intensity. Combined, this climate and these vineyards allow for a wine where bright blackberry notes dance on an elegant structure of round, supple tannins.
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In the Winery
The grapes were harvested by hand in mid-October 2006. Yields ranged from below average in the old-vine vineyards, to 3.5 tons per acre in their more youthful counterparts. Arriving at the winery, we de-stemmed the grapes and fermented them in small lots in open top fermentors. Over the next two weeks, the grapes were macerated using the traditional punch down method. The whole-berry fermentation combined with the cooler temperatures maintained in small lot fermentation allow us to produce a rich Zinfandel, with all of its abundant fruit intact.
Following the wine's initial fermentation, we barreled the wine in a combination of air-dried American (70%) and French (30%) oak. The wine was bottled in late May of 2009.
