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The Dry Creek Valley is also known to the locals as
the "Zinfandel Zone" due to its long and celebrated
history with the grape. The area's soils and additional
daytime warmth provide the perfect growing area for
Zinfandel. The 1999 growing season had an exceptionally
cool summer (the temperatures were 4-6° below normal).
This in turn, made for an outstanding year for Zinfandel
grapes characterized by intense color and concentrations
of flavors. The first summer hot spell occurred August
19-28. September brought dramatic cooler temperatures
with foggy mornings and cool evenings. The first September
heat spell of 90°+ was not until the 25th of the
month. As a result, we had an extra long hang time for
the grapes and harvest was at least three weeks later
than normal. This extra hang time produced Zinfandel
grapes with a wonderful balance of fruit and tannins.
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The grapes for this wine were destemmed but not crushed,
minimizing bitter tannin extraction from the seeds and
skins. Gentle handling meant we were able to deliver
a substantial percentage of whole berries for fermentation,
yielding powerful, mouth-filling, bright fruit flavors.
100% of the blend underwent primary fermentation in
upright fermenters. Extended fermentation for an average
of five days allowed us to fully extract the big, ripe
richness of our Zinfandel fruit. After settling, the
wine was racked into small oak barrels, allowing the
lush flavors to harmonize for the better part of a year.
True to classic Zinfandel style, we used mostly American
oak barrels, adding a distinctly smoky, vanilla component
to the finished wine and highlighting the varietal fruit's
full power. This Zin is unfined with minimal filtration.
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