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Montecillo Vineyard
Tasting Notes
TASTING NOTES This Zinfandel offers sweet and spicy aromas of wild blackberry and vanilla bean that merge with layered flavors of berry pie, cinnamon, and toasty baking spices. A lively wine with a long, lingering finish.
Vintage Notes
Warm sunny days throughout the spring and summer months set the stage for a spectacular harvest in September 2014. The lack of rain meant that harvest began a little earlier than normal and was short in length, finishing up by the end of October. The temperate days leading up to harvest produced good yields of high-quality fruit with concentrated flavors, complex aromatics, and excellent structure.
Vineyard Notes
Located in the Mayacamas Mountain range, the Montecillo Vineyard sits high on the western slope of the mountains overlooking Sonoma Valley. At 1400 feet elevation, the western exposure provides the heat and sunlight to ripen the Zinfandel vines and the well-drained soil contributes to smaller crops with highly concentrated, full-flavored fruit. The resulting wine is rich and lush.
Winemaker Notes
This vineyard is split into three distinct blocks: Terraces, Head Trained and Trellised. Each block is fermented independently to showcase the unique characteristics of its micro-climate. Short cold-soaks are used to promote aroma development, followed by an easy slow fermentation to balance out the mouthfeel. The lots are then racked to barrel on their fine lees to undergo malolactic in 40% new French oak. Halfway through aging, the blend is made according to taste and texture that reflects this very special site. The wine is then put back to the barrel to complete 18 months of aging before bottling.
WINEMAKER
COLLECTION
GRAPE VARIETIES
4% Petite Sirah
ALCOHOL
CASES PRODUCED
AGING
Bottling Date
Barrel
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92 Points | Wine Spectator
91 Points | Connoisseur's Guide
Accolades
91 Pts | Wine Spectator | March 2021
98 Pts | International Women's Wine Competition | May 2021
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Double Gold Medal | International Women's Wine Competition | May 2021
Accolades
Double Gold Medal | Sonoma County Harvest Fair | Sept 2019
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93 Points | Jeb Dunnuck | June 2018
90 Points | Wine Enthusiest | September 2018
90 Points | The Wine Advocate | August 2018
90 Points | Wine Spectator | April 2018
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93 Pts | Wine Enthusiast
92 Pts | Wine Spectator
Gold | San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Accolades
93 Points | Wine Advocate
91 Points | The Tasting Panel
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96 Points | Sunset International Wine Competition | July 2020
92 Points | Wine Spectator | Feb 2020
Best of Class | Sunset International Wine Competition | July 2020
Double Gold Medal | Sunset International Wine Competition | July 2020