Rancho Zabaco® is named for one of the original Mexican land grants in Northern Sonoma, which crosses over portions of the Russian River Valley, the area from which our grapes are sourced. The wines are inspired by the spirit and heritage of the pioneers who settled this rugged land.
The challenging 2008 growing season began with unusually dry weather in late winter and spring with
unexpected frost in late April. As the vines were beginning to bloom in May, an extended heat wave set a
smaller crop than normal in the vineyards. However, the end of spring and the summer months were
typically moderate and warm with few heat spikes, which provided perfect conditions for the ripening of
our Zinfandel grapes. Harvest began earlier than usual in August and picking rapidly increased as a heat
wave in early September caused wine grapes to quickly ripen. The weather cooled in late September and
harvest was complete by the end of October with minimal challenges. Yields were lower than previous
vintages, but the result was fruit of excellent quality with intensity and depth.
Winemaker: Eric Cinnamon
Our grapes were harvested during mid to late-September and were destemmed without crushing to
maintain 20-30% whole berries. The grapes were cold soaked for one day to increase color extraction.
Temperatures were closely monitored and kept at a maximum of 88°F during fermentation to yield a
richer, rounder mouth feel and darker, jammier fruit. The wine completed malolactic fermentation to
soften the acid structure and add complexity. The wine was aged for approximately eight months in new
and used French and American oak barrels.
The 2008 Rancho Zabaco Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel is an intensely robust wine exhibiting concentrated, syrupy flavors of black and blue fruit of dark cherry, ripe plum, and cassis. The jammy richness of boysenberry is layered with a rustic briary note and is complimented with nuances of maple and vanilla bean, leading to a long and supple finish.
Varietal Content: 91% Zinfandel, 8% Petite Sirah, 0.5% Syrah, 0.5% Mixed Red
Titratable Acidity: 0.59g/100ml
Alcohol: 15.3%
Residual Sugar: 0. 64g/100ml
pH: 3.69
Rancho Zabaco wines are available for purchase online at TheBarrelRoom.com.
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