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97 pts | Double Gold | Best of Class| North Coast Wine Challenge
92 pts | Gold | Best of Class | International Women's Wine Competition
Tasting Notes
The bouquet of this wine leads with a vibrant symphony of freshly-cut apricot, delicate elderflower, and fragrant rose hips upon ripe guava and juicy pineapple. Fresh watermelon and subtle grapefruit zest lead to a delicate creaminess, adding depth to the wine. A crisp minerality paves the way for a burst of raspberry-buttercream juiciness that captivates the palate. Lime zest’s accents add complexity to the acidity, while summery white peach notes linger on the palate.
Vintage Notes
Cooler temperatures and an abundance of spring rains in 2023 pushed back the first day of harvest to the beginning of September. The later start and extra ripening time for the fruit allowed flavors and color to develop slowly for depth and concentration. Warm fall days spread out harvest to the end of October for many of the red varieties, with a final pick of Merlot delivered to the winery on November 2.
Vineyard Notes
Fruit for this wine was harvested from various vineyards throughout Sonoma County, with 63% coming from our Estate Ranch Rio Este in the Russian River Valley. Due to the cooler vintage temperatures and longer growing season, our Rose blocks were picked over a month later than usual, beginning in mid October and finishing with some mountain side merlot Rose picked in early November. This really allowed flavors to develop on the vine, creating a flavor profile that is fresh and yet layered.
Winemaker Notes
Zinfandel from our Estate Ranch Rio Este was picked at 23 Brix early in the cool morning and put directly into the grape press using the most gentle cycle. Only the pale, blush-colored free-run juice was collected and fermented in a stainless steel tank at a cold temperature for 21 days. The balance of lots use the ‘saigne’ method to bleed Zinfandel and Merlot juice from their grape tanks, collecting it into stainless steel tanks and fermenting independently for another 21 days. All lots were then sent to neutral barrels for a short elevage of just 3 months. Only 5% malolactic conversion was performed, to retain the beautiful natural acidity from the vintage. Wine lots were blended in the first part of the new year, and then quickly bottled.
